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Probiotics in infancy induce protective immune profiles that are characteristic for chronic low-grade inflammation

E Marschan1, M Kuitunen, K Kukkonen

  • 1The Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. emma.marschan@hus.fi

Clinical and Experimental Allergy : Journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|February 13, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Probiotic use in allergy-prone infants increased markers of low-grade inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP). Higher CRP levels at 6 months were linked to a reduced risk of eczema and allergic disease by age 2.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Allergy Research

Background:

  • Probiotics are investigated for allergic disease prevention, but their mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Understanding probiotic effects on infant immune responses is crucial for allergy management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of probiotic supplementation on in vivo immune responses in allergy-prone infants.
  • To analyze cytokine, antibody, and inflammatory markers in relation to probiotic use and allergic outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized, double-blind study involving mothers and infants with allergy risk factors.
  • Plasma analysis for C-reactive protein (CRP), immunoglobulins (IgA, IgE, IgG), and cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma).
  • Correlation of immunological parameters at 6 months with probiotic treatment and allergic phenotype at 2 years.

Main Results:

  • Infants receiving probiotics showed elevated CRP, total IgA, total IgE, and IL-10 compared to placebo.
  • Increased CRP at 6 months was associated with significantly lower odds of developing eczema and allergic disease by age 2.
  • Probiotic-induced inflammation markers (CRP, IgE, IgA, IL-10) were identified.

Conclusions:

  • Chronic, low-grade inflammation, as indicated by CRP, may protect against eczema development in children.
  • Probiotic-induced immune modulation, characterized by elevated IgE, IgA, and IL-10, resembles mechanisms seen in helminth infections.
  • Chronic microbial exposure plays a role in immune modulation and allergy prevention.
Abstract

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