title: Probiotic effects on faecal inflammatory markers and on faecal IgA in food allergic atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome infants.
abstract: Probiotic bacteria are proposed to alleviate intestinal inflammation in infants with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS) and food allergy. In such infants we investigated effects of probiotic bacteria on faecal IgA, and on the intestinal inflammation markers tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), alpha1-antitrypsin (AT), and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). A total of 230 infants with AEDS and suspected cow's milk allergy (CMA) received in a randomized double-blinded manner, concomitant with elimination diet, Lactobacillus GG (LGG), a mixture of four probiotic strains (MIX), or placebo for 4 wk. Four weeks after treatment, CMA was diagnosed with a double-blind placebo-controlled milk challenge. Faecal samples of 102 infants, randomly chosen for analysis, were collected before treatment, after 4-wk treatment, and on the first day of milk challenge. After treatment, IgA levels tended to be higher in probiotic groups than in the placebo group (LGG vs. placebo, p=0.064; MIX vs. placebo, p=0.064), and AT decreased in the LGG group, but not in other treatment groups. After challenge in IgE-associated CMA infants, faecal IgA was higher for LGG than for placebo (p=0.014), and TNF-alpha was lower for LGG than for placebo, but non-significantly (p=0.111). In conclusion, 4-wk treatment with LGG may alleviate intestinal inflammation in infants with AEDS and CMA.
authors.affiliation: The Skin and Allergy Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. mirva.viljanen@hus.fi
authors.forename: Mirva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viljanen
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuitunen
authors.forename: Tari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haahtela
authors.forename: Kaisu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Juntunen-Backman
authors.forename: Riitta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korpela
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savilahti
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000187:drug effects; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000382:microbiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000503:physiopathology; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein