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Severity of atopic disease inversely correlates with intestinal microbiota diversity and butyrate-producing bacteria

L Nylund1, M Nermes, E Isolauri

  • 1Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Division of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Allergy
|November 22, 2014
PubMed

Insights

High gut microbiota diversity and butyrate-producing bacteria are linked to milder eczema in infants. Improvements in eczema severity correlated with increased microbiota diversity and specific beneficial bacteria over three months.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Dermatology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Contradictory findings exist regarding the relationship between early childhood microbiota and atopic diseases.
  • Both decreased and increased gut microbiota diversity have been linked to atopic eczema.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize intestinal microbiota signatures associated with eczema severity in 6-month-old infants.
  • To assess changes in gut microbiota composition related to eczema improvement over a 3-month follow-up period.

Main Methods:

  • Correlation analysis between eczema severity and gut microbiota diversity and abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria.
  • Longitudinal assessment of changes in microbiota composition and eczema scores over three months.

Main Results:

  • Eczema severity inversely correlated with microbiota diversity (r = -0.54, P = 0.002) and butyrate-producing bacteria abundance (r = -0.52, P = 0.005).
  • Over 3 months, microbiota diversity increased (P < 0.001) and eczema severity decreased (P < 0.001).
  • Eczema improvement coincided with an increase in Coprococcus eutactus, a butyrate-producing bacterium (r = -0.59, P = 0.02).

Conclusions:

  • Higher gut microbiota diversity and abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria are associated with milder infant eczema.
  • These microbial characteristics may play a role in alleviating atopic eczema symptoms.
  • Gut microbiota composition changes are linked to clinical improvement in infant eczema.

Keywords:
butyrate-producing bacteriaeczema severitymicrobiota diversityscoring atopic dermatitis

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