title: Probiotics in the development and treatment of allergic disease.
abstract: Gut microbiota composition can discriminate between allergic and healthy children, and the distinction may precede clinical manifestations of disease. The mother provides the first inoculum of bacteria, which influences the risk of becoming allergic later in life. Bifidobacterium species are major determinants of disease risk. Specific probiotics may modulate early microbial colonization, which represents the first intervention target in allergic disease, together with their ability to reverse the increased intestinal permeability characteristic of children with atopic eczema and food allergy. Probiotics also enhance gut-specific IgA responses, which are frequently defective in children with food allergy. In addition, probiotics have the potential to alleviate allergic inflammation locally and systemically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Kiinamyllynkatu 4-8, 20520 Turku, Finland. erika.isolauri@utu.fi
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Isolauri
authors.forename: Samuli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rautava
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salminen
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D004032:Diet; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D054892:Metagenome / Q000276:immunology*; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use