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- Björkstén, Bengt, et al.
(författare)
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Allergy development and the intestinal microflora during the first year of life
- 2001
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Ingår i: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 108:4, s. 516-520
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The intestinal microflora is a likely source for the induction of immune deviation in infancy. Objective: The purpose of this study was to prospectively relate the intestinal microflora to allergy development in 2 countries differing with respect to the prevalence of atopic diseases. Methods: Newborn infants were followed prospectively through the first 2 years of life in Estonia (n = 24) and Sweden (n = 20). By that age, 9 Estonian and 9 Swedish infants had developed atopic dermatitis and/or positive skin prick test results. Stool samples were obtained at 5 to 6 days and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, and 13 groups of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms were cultivated through use of standard methods. Results: In comparison with healthy infants, babies who developed allergy were less often colonized with enterococci during the first month of life (72 % vs 96 %, P < .05) and with bifidobacteria during the first year of life (17 % to 39 % vs 42 % to 69 %, P < .05). Furthermore, allergic infants had higher counts of clostridia at 3 months (median value, 10.3 vs 7.2 log(10), P < .05). The prevalence of colonization with Staphylococcus aureus was also higher at 6 months (61 % vs 23 %, P < .05), whereas the counts of Bacteroides were lower at 12 months (9.9 vs 10.6 log(10), P < .05). Conclusion: Differences in the composition of the gut flora between infants who will and infants who will not develop allergy are demonstrable before the development of any clinical manifestations of atopy. Because the observations were made in 2 countries with different standards of living, we believe that our findings could indicate a role for the intestinal microflora in the development of and protection from allergy.
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- Böttcher (Fagerås), Malin, et al.
(författare)
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Endotoxin levels in Estonian and Swedish house dust and atopy in infancy
- 2003
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1365-2222 .- 0954-7894. ; 33:3, s. 295-300
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Immune responses, including those to allergens, may be T helper (Th)2 skewed in newborns. In order to redress the fetal Th1/Th2 imbalance, Th1-stimulating factors, such as bacterial endotoxin, may be required. The increasing prevalence and severity of atopic diseases in industrialized countries, which are in marked contrast with the low prevalence of allergy among children in the formerly socialist countries of Europe, have been suggested to be caused by a reduced microbial stimulation.Aim To relate the endotoxin levels in house dust from two countries with a low (Estonia) and a high (Sweden) prevalence of allergy to the development of atopic disease and sensitization in the children during the first 2 years of life.Methods The study included 108 children from Tartu, Estonia and 111 children from Linköping, Sweden. Skin prick tests were performed at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months of age, and questionnaires were distributed to the families. At 24 months, a paediatrician examined the children. Dust samples were collected from mattresses and carpets and the endotoxin concentration was determined by a chromogenic Limulus assay.Results The endotoxin levels were higher in Estonian than in Swedish house dust (median levels 29 (range 0.25–280) and 14 (range 0.25–99) EU/mg dust, respectively, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the levels were inversely related to the development of atopic disease and sensitization in the Swedish, but not in the Estonian, children.Conclusions The low prevalence of atopic disease in Estonia may, at least in part, be related to the high endotoxin levels in this country. The findings support that high levels of endotoxin, or other bacterial products with Th1-stimulating properties, might protect children from developing atopic disease.
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- Sepp, E, et al.
(författare)
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Development of intestinal microflora during the first month of life in Estonian and Swedish infants
- 2000
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Ingår i: Microbiological Ecology in Health and Disease. - 0891-060X .- 1651-2235. ; 12:1, s. 22-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Little is known about possible regional differences in the development of the intestinal microflora in infants. The aim of the present study was therefore to compare the development of the microflora in Estonian and Swedish infants during the first month of life. The intestinal microflora of one week old and one month old Estonian (n = 20) and Swedish (n = 20) infants was studied by quantitative culture of faecal samples. All newborns were delivered vaginally and fed with breast milk during the first month of life. At one week of age the counts of aerobes (coagulase negative staphylococci, enterococci, enterobacteria) were higher in Estonian than in Swedish newborns. The counts of lactobacilli and candida increased in the Estonian infants over the first month of life, while the counts of enterobacteria increased in Swedish infants. At one month of age, the Estonian infants were more frequently colonised with lactobacilli than the Swedish infants and the counts were higher, our data indicate that previously described differences in intestinal microflora of Estonian and Swedish 1 to 2 year old children are present already at the first month of life.
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