title: Severity of atopic disease inversely correlates with intestinal microbiota diversity and butyrate-producing bacteria.
abstract: The reports on atopic diseases and microbiota in early childhood remain contradictory, and both decreased and increased microbiota diversity have been associated with atopic eczema. In this study, the intestinal microbiota signatures associated with the severity of eczema in 6-month-old infants were characterized. Further, the changes in intestinal microbiota composition related to the improvement of this disease 3 months later were assessed. The severity of eczema correlated inversely with microbiota diversity (r = -0.54, P = 0.002) and with the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria (r = -0.52, P = 0.005). During the 3-month follow-up, microbiota diversity increased (P < 0.001) and scoring atopic dermatitis values decreased (P < 0.001) in all infants. This decrease coincided with the increase in bacteria related to butyrate-producing Coprococcus eutactus (r = -0.59, P = 0.02). In conclusion, the high diversity of microbiota and high abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria were associated with milder eczema, thus suggesting they have a role in alleviating symptoms of atopic eczema.
authors.affiliation: Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Division of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nylund
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nermes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Isolauri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: de Vos
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Satokari
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D044822:Biodiversity; D002087:Butyrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D004485:Eczema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D007223:Infant; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D064307:Microbiota; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D002087:Butyrates
keywords: butyrate-producing bacteria; eczema severity; microbiota diversity; scoring atopic dermatitis