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Published on: August 7, 2017

Altered early infant gut microbiota in children developing allergy up to 5 years of age

Y M Sjögren1, M C Jenmalm, M F Böttcher

  • 1Department of Immunology, The Wenner Gren Institute, Arrhenius Laboratory of Natural Sciences F5, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. ylva.sjogren@imun.su.se

Clinical and Experimental Allergy : Journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|February 18, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Early infant gut microbiota diversity, including specific bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, is linked to reduced allergy development. Larger families and higher endotoxin exposure correlate with more diverse infant gut bacteria.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Pediatric allergy
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Early infant gut colonization by bifidobacteria and lactobacilli is thought to protect against allergies.
  • Conversely, Clostridium difficile colonization may be linked to allergic disease.
  • Previous studies often used culture-dependent methods and had limited follow-up periods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between specific species of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in early infancy and allergy development up to age 5.
  • To explore the influence of environmental factors like family size and allergen exposure on infant gut microbiota composition.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 47 Swedish infants with fecal sample analysis at 1 week, 1 month, and 2 months post-birth.
  • Real-time PCR used to quantify bacterial DNA, including Clostridium difficile, specific Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, and Bacteroides fragilis.
  • Allergy defined by symptoms and positive skin prick tests within the first 5 years; environmental factors included family size and endotoxin/Fel d 1 levels in dust.

Main Results:

  • Infants who developed allergies were less frequently colonized with Lactobacillus group I, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and Clostridium difficile in the first two months.
  • Infants with a higher diversity of Bifidobacterium species were associated with greater endotoxin exposure and larger family sizes.

Conclusions:

  • A more diverse infant gut microbiota in early life may play a protective role against allergy development.
  • This diversity may be influenced by environmental factors such as family size and endotoxin exposure, supporting an inverse relationship with allergy.
Abstract

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