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Updated: Apr 11, 2026
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An Intestinal Gut Organ Culture System for Analyzing Host-Microbiota Interactions
Published on: June 30, 2021
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Human seroreactivity to gut microbiota antigens.
Benjamin S Christmann1, Thomas R Abrahamsson2, Charles N Bernstein3
1Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
|May 28, 2015
Summary
The adaptive immune response to gut microbes develops in infancy and is altered in allergic individuals. Optimal microbial stimulation may prevent immune-mediated diseases.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Allergy Research
Background:
- The adaptive immune response to intestinal microbiota in healthy humans is not well understood.
- Immune responses to gut microbes are implicated in various diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the adaptive immune response to intestinal microbiota in healthy adults.
- To compare this response in children and mothers at risk for allergic disease.
Main Methods:
- Collected human serum from adults and children (birth to 7 years).
- Assessed serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) response to intestinal microbiota antigens using a novel protein microarray.
Main Results:
- Most subjects showed IgG reactivity to common microbial antigens.
- Atopic adults had significantly lower seroreactivity.
- Healthy infants displayed the highest IgG reactivity, developing between 6-12 months and peaking at 2 years.
- Low infant IgG responses to specific microbial antigens correlated with childhood allergy development.
Conclusions:
- Allergic individuals exhibit a perturbed adaptive immune response to microbiota antigens.
- These immune alterations are detectable in childhood.
- Adequate immune system stimulation by microbiota may be crucial for preventing immune-mediated diseases.
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