We have an opportunity to launch a new product in the management of respiratory allergy. It would be helpful to know if there are any current research going on in this area.
My PhD project was about the role of beneficial bacteria (probiotics and synbiotics) in murine models for chronic allergic asthma. Check my publications, Seil Sagar
Various effects of different probiotic strains in allergic disorders: an update from laboratory and clinical data
Ö Özdemir
ABSTRACT
Epidemiological data show that allergic children have a different intestinal flora from healthy children with higher levels of Clostridia and lower levels of Bifidobacteria. Nonetheless, Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli are found more commonly in the composition of the intestinal flora of non-allergic children. Probiotics are ingested live microbes that can modify intestinal microbial populations in a way that benefits the host and they are represented mainly by Lactobacilli. Enhanced presence of probiotic bacteria in the intestinal microbiota is found to correlate with protection against atopy. There is also very promising evidence to recommend the addition of probiotics to foods for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases. Clinical improvement, especially in allergic rhinitis and immunoglobulin (Ig)E-sensitized (atopic) eczema, has been reported in most of the published studies. However, clinical benefit of probiotic therapy depends upon numerous factors, such as type of bacterium, dosing regimen, delivery method and other underlying host factors, e.g. the age and diet of the host. Selection of the most beneficial probiotic strain, the dose and the timing of supplementation still need to be determined. This review helps understanding of the role of probiotics in various allergic diseases, explaining laboratory and clinical data in light of recent literature.
Anna Maria Castellazzi,1 Chiara Valsecchi,1 Silvia Caimmi,1 Amelia Licari,1 Alessia Marseglia,1 Maria Chiara Leoni,1Davide Caimmi,1 Michele Miraglia del Giudice,2 Salvatore Leonardi, 3 Mario La Rosa,3 and Gian Luigi Marseglia1
Abstract
The exact prevalence of food allergy in the general population is unknown, but almost 12% of pediatric population refers a suspicion of food allergy. IgE mediated reactions to food are actually the best-characterized types of allergy, and they might be particularly harmful especially in children. According to the “hygiene hypothesis” low or no exposure to exogenous antigens in early life may increase the risk of allergic diseases by both delaying the development of the immune tolerance and limiting the Th2/Th1 switch. The critical role of intestinal microbiota in the development of immune tolerance improved recently the interest on probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acid, folate and vitamins, which seem to have positive effects on the immune functions.
Probiotics consist in bacteria or yeast, able to re-colonize and restore microflora symbiosis in intestinal tract. One of the most important characteristics of probiotics is their safety for human health. Thanks to their ability to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells and to modulate and stabilize the composition of gut microflora, probiotics bacteria may play an important role in the regulation of intestinal and systemic immunity. They actually seem capable of restoring the intestinal microbic equilibrium and modulating the activation of immune cells.
Several studies have been recently conducted on the role of probiotics in preventing and/or treating allergic disorders, but the results are often quite contradictory, probably because of the heterogeneity of strains, the duration of therapy and the doses administered to patients. Therefore, new studies are needed in order to clarify the functions and the utility of probiotics in food allergies and ion other types of allergic disorders.
Few examinations exist that endeavor to address the adequacy of probiotic supplementation in the treatment or prevention of asthma. One examination utilizing aged milk containing L. casei and concentrating its impact on the quantity of scenes of asthma and unfavorably susceptible rhinitis found no factual distinction among mediation and control gatherings of asthmatic youngsters.
Recently, data from the PubMed database and published studies indicate that probiotic intake improved the quality of life score in patients with allergic rhinitis. There was no significant change in blood or immunologic parameters in the probiotic group. This suggests that probiotics may be useful in allergic rhinitis, but the present data are not sufficient to allow for any treatment recommendations.
Article Can probiotics be used to treat allergic diseases?