Probiotics and Gut Microbiota: A New Horizon in Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease

D ear Editor, with interest, we read Nori et al. review entitled ”Probiotics in Women and Pediatrics Health: A Narrative Review” published in AlAnbar Medical Journal volume 19, issue 1, 2023 [1]. The review discussed the role of probiotics in pediatric health, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, psychological, and neurological diseases. We believe that the role of gut microbiota (GM) and modulating them by probiotics in pediatric chronic kidney diseases (CKD) is worth mentioning. GM application in CKD can yield encouraging outcomes as summarized in Figure 1. Such endeavors would furnish valuable insights into novel probiotic strains and their potential benefits for renal disease in pediatrics [2]. Examining GM in pediatric CKD is an emerging field of research. Alterations in GM composition and function have been linked to various pediatric diseases through the production of metabolites, regulation of immune responses, and modulation of inflammation [3, 4]. Identifying a specific GM signature or marker may indicate the presence or progression of CKD, thus allowing timely interventions to prevent disease progression [2]. Furthermore, different GM profiles may respond differently to medications or dietary treatments, allowing for customised treatment strategies based on an individual’s unique GM; in addition, GM alteration may be a non-invasive method to evaluate treatment efficiency and disease progression [5]. Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge that investigations into the diagnostic utilization of GM in pediatric PKD are currently nascent. Recent work discussed modulating GM via probiotics in