title: Probiotics modulate gut microbiota and health status in Japanese cedar pollinosis patients during the pollen season.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP) is a challenging public health problem in Japan. Altered gut microbiota is associated with several diseases, including allergic diseases. However, only a few studies have focused on JCP and the underlying mechanisms for probiotic effects remain unclear. In addition, this study is the first observation of the correlation between the gut microbiota and blood lipid in JCP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Faecal samples from JCP subjects were collected before and after treatment with (n = 14) and without (n = 11) LGG-TMC0356-fermented milk for 10 weeks. Gut microbiota composition was characterized from faecal DNA using sequencing of 16S rRNA genes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  16S rRNA-based operational taxonomic unit clustering of the microbiota revealed that LGG-TMC0356-fermented milk significantly altered gut microbiota after 10 weeks of milk consumption, and eight dominant genera of microbes were detected. During the JCP season, the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, when compared to baseline, was significantly decreased in subjects at end of the study. Bacteroidetes showed positive correlation with LDL- and HDL-cholesterol levels, whereas Firmicutes showed negative correlation with total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL- cholesterol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The altered gut microbiota through supplementation of fermented milk containing the study probiotics may be a prospective target for protection against JCP, with beneficial effects on blood lipid levels.
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, 241-0023, Japan. g-harata@takanashi-milk.co.jp.|Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland. g-harata@takanashi-milk.co.jp.
authors.forename: Gaku
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harata
authors.affiliation: Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Himanshu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, 241-0023, Japan. ka-hou@takanashi-milk.co.jp.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, 241-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, 241-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutoyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoda
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, 241-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, 241-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Laboratory, Takanashi Milk Products Co., Ltd., Yokohama, 241-0023, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.affiliation: Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Samuli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rautava
authors.affiliation: Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salminen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D041963:Bacteroidetes; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D032485:Cryptomeria; D043302:Cultured Milk Products; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D000068536:Bacillota; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007564:Japan; D000069998:Lactobacillus gasseri; D052201:Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus; D008297:Male; D011058:Pollen; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine
keywords: Allergy; Blood lipid; Gut microbiota; JCP; Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356; Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG; Probiotic