title: Human seroreactivity to gut microbiota antigens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although immune responses directed against antigens from the intestinal microbiota are observed in certain diseases, the normal human adaptive immune response to intestinal microbiota is poorly defined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to assess the adaptive immune response to the intestinal microbiota present in 143 healthy adults and compare this response with the response observed in 52 children and their mothers at risk of having allergic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human serum was collected from adults and children followed from birth to 7 years of age, and the serum IgG response to a panel of intestinal microbiota antigens was assessed by using a novel protein microarray.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly every subject tested, regardless of health status, had serum IgG that recognized a common set of antigens. Seroreactivity to the panel of antigens was significantly lower in atopic adults. Healthy infants expressed the highest level of IgG seroreactivity to intestinal microbiota antigens. This adaptive response developed between 6 and 12 months of age and peaked around 2 years of age. Low IgG responses to certain clusters of microbiota antigens during infancy were associated with allergy development during childhood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an observed perturbation of the adaptive response to antigens from the microbiota in allergic subjects. These perturbations are observable even in childhood, suggesting that optimal stimulation of the adaptive immune system by the microbiota might be needed to prevent certain immune-mediated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.
authors.forename: Benjamin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Christmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linkoping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Abrahamsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.
authors.forename: L Wayne
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Duck
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mannon
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linkoping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and Örebro University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Björkstén
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linkoping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jenmalm
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala. Electronic address: coelson@uab.edu.
authors.forename: Charles O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Elson
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007422:Intestines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Adaptive; IgG; allergy; atopy; bacterial antibodies; bacterial antigens; childhood; microarray; microbiota