Microbiota predicts infant allergies

Recent studies have highlighted the correlation between the bacterial composition of the microbiota and various health diseases, such as depression and autoimmune diseases. A study published in Nature Communications identified the microbiota as the potential origin of some major infant allergies.

Millions of children worldwide are increasingly affected by allergic diseases. 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 have influenced the microbes and genes that make up the microbiota and microbiome. Researchers at the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s hospital (Canada) followed more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five. The infants were evaluated for the 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬.

They showed that there is a 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 of the infants diagnosed with allergic diseases compared to those with no history of allergy. Children with one of the four allergies by age five exhibited a 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 "𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞" 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬. This suggests an imbalanced gut microbiota, likely contributing to intestinal mucosa deterioration and increased inflammatory responses.

A focus on 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 aimed at altering these host-microbe interactions in early childhood could have 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 on the prevention of pediatric allergic diseases.