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Japanese traditional (Kampo) medicine promotes intestinal immunity and protects against bacterial infections. We assessed potential differences in the clinical course of VRE-positive patients, based on their characteristics and treatment with Kampo medicines. This retrospective observational study collected data from VRE-positive patients from August 2018 to July 2019 at a tertiary-care hospital in Japan. The data of 122 consecutive VRE-positive inpatients were analyzed. Sixty-nine patients were treated with probiotics, among whom, 18 were further treated with Kampo medicines. Twenty-six of the 122 patients subsequently died. In univariate analyses, subsequent VRE negative conversion significantly reduced the mortality of VRE-detected patients (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009.0003). Administration of probiotics (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009.0065) and Kampo medicines with probiotics (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009.0002), especially of the Kampo medicine hochuekkito (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009.0014), and a higher serum albumin level positively contributed to the subsequent VRE negative conversion. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that Kampo medicines and body mass index contributed to VRE negative conversion. Hochuekkito shortened the time needed for VRE negative conversion (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.0485). Administration of Kampo medicines, especially of hochuekkito, in addition to probiotics in VRE patients may promote VRE negative conversion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-021-90890-4","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,28]],"date-time":"2021-05-28T10:42:09Z","timestamp":1622198529000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["A Japanese traditional medicine Hochuekkito promotes negative conversion of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Junko","family":"Kohno","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tsuyoshi","family":"Kawamura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Akiko","family":"Kikuchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tetsuya","family":"Akaishi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shin","family":"Takayama","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tadashi","family":"Ishii","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"90890_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2150","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.42.8.2150","volume":"42","author":"N Fujita","year":"1998","unstructured":"Fujita, N., Yoshimura, M., Komori, T., Tanimoto, K. & Ike, Y. 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K., S. T., and T. I. belong to the Department of Kampo and Integrative Medicine at Tohoku University School of Medicine. The department received a grant from Tsumura, a Japanese manufacturer of Kampo medicines; however, the grant was used as per Tohoku University rules. Potential conflicts of interest were addressed by the Tohoku University Benefit Reciprocity Committee and were managed appropriately. The other authors have no additional conflicts of interest to declare.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"11300"}}