title: Differential immunomodulating effects of inactivated probiotic bacteria on the allergic immune response.
abstract: Bacterial stimulation plays an important role in modulating the allergic immune response. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inactivated probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus and non-pathogenic Escherichia coli strain Nissle on the phenotype and function of T- and B-cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with grass-pollen allergy (n=10) and non-allergic patients (n=19) were co-stimulated with inactivated bacteria and grass-pollen allergen. Expression of CD23, CD80, CD86 and CD69 were analysed, and the intracellular production of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma was measured by direct ex vivo flow cytometry after stimulation. Both bacteria induced a significant up-regulation of CD69 expression on T-lymphocytes (p=0.001). CD23 expression was significantly increased following stimulation with allergen (p=0.008), but reduced after stimulation with Lactobacillus and significantly reduced with E. coli plus allergen (p=0.029). CD80 expression was reduced after stimulation with Lactobacillus in the allergic group only (p=0.021). By contrast, CD86 expression was significantly increased after stimulation with Lactobacillus (p=0.049) and distinctly increased with E. coli in both groups (p=0.001). The cytokine patterns of CD69-positive T-lymphocytes from allergic patients showed a TH2-dominated response after allergen stimulation (interferon-gamma/interleukin-4-ratio 0.2), directed into a T-helper1-like response by stimulation with both types of bacteria (interferon-gamma/interleukin-4-ratios 1.5-2.0 in both groups). These data show that both types of bacteria modulate the allergic immune response by the alteration of CD23 and co-stimulatory molecule expression. Regarding cytokine production, the data suggest a differential response to both bacteria depending on the atopic state, but a clear promotion of T-helper1-dominated response in allergic donors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. margitta.worm@charite.de
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rasche
authors.forename: Christin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolfram
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wahls
authors.forename: Margitta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Worm
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma