title: Lactobacillus GG effect in increasing IFN-gamma production in infants with cow's milk allergy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Probiotic bacteria are potentially beneficial to maturation of the infant's immune system.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the role of probiotic bacteria in treatment of cow's milk allergy (CMA) and IgE-associated dermatitis, we investigated the immunologic effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and a mixture of 4 bacterial species (MIX).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized, double-blind study design, concomitantly with elimination diet and skin treatment, LGG, MIX, or placebo was given for 4 weeks to infants with suspected CMA. After anti-CD3 (OKT3) and anti-CD28 stimulation of PBMCs, IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-12 levels were measured in culture supernatants by ELISA. Intracellular IFN-gamma, IL-4, and IL-5 production on CD4 lymphocytes was analyzed with fluorescence-activated cell sorting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Secretion of IFN-gamma by PBMCs before the treatment was significantly lower in infants with CMA (P=.016) and in infants with IgE-associated CMA (P=.003) than in non-CMA infants. Among the infants who received LGG, the level of secreted IFN-gamma increased in those with CMA (P=.006) and in those with IgE-associated dermatitis (P=.017) when compared with the placebo group. Secretion of IL-4 increased significantly in infants with CMA in the MIX (P=.034) but not in the LGG group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deficiency in IFN-gamma response appears to be related to CMA. LGG raises IFN-gamma production of PBMC in infants with CMA and in infants with IgE-associated dermatitis and may thus provide beneficial TH1 immunomodulatory signals. MIX, although containing LGG, appears to modulate the immune responses differently.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Finland. emma.pohjavuori@hus.fi
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pohjavuori
authors.forename: Mirva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viljanen
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korpela
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuitunen
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tiittanen
authors.forename: Outi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vaarala
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savilahti
mesh_terms: D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007371:Interferon-gamma