Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2025
Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
Systemic inflammatory proteins in offspring following maternal probiotic supplementation for atopic dermatitis
Dinastry Pramadita Zakiudin1,2, Anne Dorthea Bjerkenes Rø3,4, Vibeke Videm3,4
1Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Håkon Jarls Gate 11, 7030, Trondheim, Norway. dinastry.p.zakiudin@ntnu.no.
Insights
Maternal probiotic supplementation may prevent atopic dermatitis (AD) by altering inflammatory proteins in infants. This study identified specific protein differences linked to AD prevention and severity, offering insights into probiotic mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiome research
- Pediatric allergy
Background:
- Maternal probiotic supplementation shows promise in preventing infant atopic dermatitis (AD).
- The Probiotics in the Prevention of Allergy among Children in Trondheim (ProPACT) study demonstrated a 40% reduction in AD incidence with maternal probiotics.
- Mechanisms by which probiotics prevent AD, particularly the role of inflammatory proteins, remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that maternal probiotics alter inflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins in 2-year-old children.
- To explore the association between these proteins and the presence/severity of AD.
- To understand the link between protein profiles and the preventive effect of probiotics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of plasma samples from 202 children in the ProPACT randomized controlled trial.
- Measurement of 92 inflammatory proteins using a multiplex proximity extension assay.
- Statistical analysis including regression and unsupervised cluster analysis to assess protein associations with AD and probiotic effects.
Main Results:
- Probiotic group showed lower levels of CCL11 and IL-17C compared to placebo.
- Children with AD exhibited higher levels of IL-17C, MCP-4, uPA, and CD6.
- Cytokines CCL20 and IL-18 correlated with AD severity; cluster analysis identified immune checkpoint receptors and inflammatory suppressor enzymes associated with the greatest AD preventive effect.
Conclusions:
- Specific inflammatory proteins are associated with maternal probiotic supplementation and AD in children.
- Protein profiles, identified via cluster analysis, may indicate subgroups benefiting from probiotics.
- Further research is needed to validate these findings in larger studies.
Background:
Maternal probiotic supplementation has a promising effect on atopic dermatitis (AD) prevention in infancy. In the randomised controlled study, Probiotics in the Prevention of Allergy among Children in Trondheim (ProPACT), maternal probiotics reduced the cumulative incidence of AD in their offspring by 40% at 2 years of age. However, our understanding on how probiotics prevented AD is still limited, and the role of inflammatory proteins in infants following maternal probiotic supplementation is unclear. We hypothesised that maternal probiotics lowered pro-inflammatory proteins and increased anti-inflammatory proteins in their 2-year-old children as a mechanism of AD prevention. We aimed to explore this hypothesis and the association between these proteins and the presence of AD, severity of AD, and the degree of preventive effect of probiotics.
Methods:
Plasma samples were collected from 2-year-old children (n = 202) during the ProPACT study, a randomised placebo-controlled trial of maternal probiotic supplementation. These samples were analysed for 92 inflammatory proteins using a multiplex proximity extension assay. Associations between inflammatory proteins and the presence and severity of AD, and the degree of preventive effect, was estimated individually using regression analysis and then collectively using unsupervised cluster analysis.
Results:
Several proteins were observed to differ between the groups. The probiotic group had lower CCL11 and IL-17C, while children with AD had higher IL-17C, MCP-4, uPA, and CD6. Cytokine CCL20 and IL-18 had moderate correlation (r = 0.35 and r = 0.46) with the severity of AD. The cluster analysis revealed that children in the cluster of samples with the highest value of immune checkpoint receptors and inflammatory suppressor enzymes showed the greatest AD preventive effect from probiotics.
Conclusions:
The proteins associated with both maternal probiotic supplementation and the presence and severity of AD warrant attention because of their potential biological relevance. Cluster analysis may provide a new insight when considering which subgroups benefit from probiotic supplementation. Larger studies are needed to confirm the results.
Trial Registration Number:
The study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00159523) on 12nd September 2005.
More Related Videos
08:50A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
05:31Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
