Journal ArticleDOI
The intestinal microflora in allergic Estonian and Swedish 2-year-old children.
TLDR
It has been suggested that a reduced microbial stimulation during infancy and early childhood would result in a slower postnatal maturation of the immune system and development of an optimal balance between TH1‐ and TH2‐like immunity.Abstract:
Background
The prevalence of allergic diseases seems to have increased particularly over the past 35–40 years. Furthermore, allergic disease is less common among children in the formerly socialist countries of central and Eastern Europe as compared with Western Europe. It has been suggested that a reduced microbial stimulation during infancy and early childhood would result in a slower postnatal maturation of the immune system and development of an optimal balance between TH1- and TH2-like immunity.
Aims
To test the hypothesis that allergic disease among children may be associated with differences in their intestinal microflora in two countries with a low (Estonia) and a high (Sweden) prevalence of allergy.
Methods
From a prospective study of the development of allergy in relation to environmental factors, 29 Estonian and 33 Swedish 2-year-old children were selected. They were either nonallergic (n = 36) or had a confirmed diagnosis of allergy (n = 27) as verified by typical history and at least one positive skin prick test to egg or cow's milk. Weighed samples of faeces were serially diluted (10−2–10−9) and grown under anaerobic conditions. The counts of the various genera and species were calculated for each child. In addition, the relative amounts of the particular microbes were expressed as a proportion of the total count.
Results
The allergic children in Estonia and Sweden were less often colonized with lactobacilli (P < 0.01), as compared with the nonallergic children in the two countries. In contrast, the allergic children harboured higher counts of aerobic micro-organisms (P < 0.05), particularly coliforms (P < 0.01) and Staphylococcus aureus (P < 0.05). The proportions of aerobic bacteria of the intestinal flora were also higher in the allergic children (P < 0.05), while the opposite was true for anaerobes (P < 0.05). Similarly, in the allergic children the proportions of coliforms were higher (P < 0.05) and bacteroides lower (P < 0.05) than in the nonallergic children.
Conclusions
Differences in the indigenous intestinal flora might affect the development and priming of the immune system in early childhood, similar to what has been shown in rodents. The role of intestinal microflora in relation to the development of infant immunity and the possible consequences for allergic diseases later in life requires further study, particularly as it would be readily available for intervention as a means for primary prevention of allergy by the administration of probiotic bacteria.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
An immunomodulatory molecule of symbiotic bacteria directs maturation of the host immune system.
Sarkis K. Mazmanian,Sarkis K. Mazmanian,Cui Hua Liu,Cui Hua Liu,Arthur O. Tzianabos,Arthur O. Tzianabos,Dennis L. Kasper,Dennis L. Kasper +7 more
TL;DR: During colonization of animals with the ubiquitous gut microorganism Bacteroides fragilis, a bacterial polysaccharide (PSA) directs the cellular and physical maturation of the developing immune system.
Journal ArticleDOI
Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: a randomised placebo-controlled trial
TL;DR: Gut microflora might be a hitherto unexplored source of natural immunomodulators and probiotics, for prevention of atopic disease in children at high risk.
Journal ArticleDOI
Factors influencing the composition of the intestinal microbiota in early infancy
John Penders,Carel Thijs,Carel Thijs,Cornelis Vink,Foekje Stelma,Bianca E. P. Snijders,Ischa Kummeling,Piet A. van den Brandt,Ellen E. Stobberingh +8 more
TL;DR: The most important determinants of the gut microbiotic composition in infants were the mode of delivery, type of infant feeding, gestational age, infant hospitalization, and antibiotic use by the infant.
Journal ArticleDOI
Allergy and allergic diseases.
TL;DR: The treatment of allergic rhinitis (and other allergic diseases) consists of allergen avoidance (whenever possible and practical), anti-allergic medication, and immunotherapy for specific allergens as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Allergy development and the intestinal microflora during the first year of life
TL;DR: Differences in the composition of the gut flora between infant who will and infants who will not develop allergy are demonstrable before the development of any clinical manifestations of atopy.
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