Probiotic lactic acid bacteria and their potential in the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases

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Abstract

Allergy is one of the most important and very common health problems worldwide. To reduce the proportion of people suffering from allergy, alternative methods of prevention and treatment are sought. The aim of this paper is to present the possibilities of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases.

Probiotics are live microorganisms belonging mainly to the lactic acid bacteria. They modify the microflora of the human digestive system, especially the intestinal microflora. Prophylactic administration of probiotics in the early stages of life (naturally in breast milk or milk substitute synthetic compounds) is very important because intestinal microflora plays a huge role in the development of the immune system. Prevention of allergies as early as in the prenatal and postnatal periods provides huge opportunities for inhibiting the growing problem of allergy in emerging and highly developed societies. Effects of probiotic therapy depend on many factors such as the species of the microorganism used, the dose size and characteristics of the bacteria such as viability and capacity of adhesion to the intestinal walls. Authors of several studies showed beneficial effects of probiotics in the perinatal period, infancy, and also in adults in the prevention of atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis.

Probiotics, due to their immunomodulatory properties and safety of use are a good, natural alternative for the prevention and treatment of many diseases including allergies. It is therefore important to explore the knowledge about their use and to carry out further clinical trials.

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Most cited references 44

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Commensal bacteria (normal microflora), mucosal immunity and chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Helena Tlaskalova-Hogenova, Renata Stepankova, Tomas Hudcovic … (2004)

Commensal microflora (normal microflora, indigenous microbiota) consists of those micro-organisms, which are present on body surfaces covered by epithelial cells and are exposed to the external environment (gastrointestinal and respiratory tract, vagina, skin, etc.). The number of bacteria colonising mucosal and skin surfaces exceeds the number of cells forming human body. Commensal bacteria co-evolved with their hosts, however, under specific conditions they are able to overcome protective host responses and exert pathologic effects. Resident bacteria form complex ecosystems, whose diversity is enormous. The most abundant microflora is present in the distal parts of the gut; the majority of the intestinal bacteria are Gram-negative anaerobes. More than 50% of intestinal bacteria cannot be cultured by conventional microbiological techniques. Molecular biological methods help in analysing the structural and functional complexity of the microflora and in identifying its components. Resident microflora contains a number of components able to activate innate and adaptive immunity. Unlimited immune activation in response to signals from commensal bacteria could pose the risk of inflammation; immune responses to mucosal microbiota therefore require a precise regulatory control. The mucosal immune system has developed specialised regulatory, anti-inflammatory mechanisms for eliminating or tolerating non-dangerous, food and airborne antigens and commensal micro-organisms (oral, mucosal tolerance). However, at the same time the mucosal immune system must provide local defense mechanisms against environmental threats (e.g. invading pathogens). This important requirement is fulfilled by several mechanisms of mucosal immunity: strongly developed innate defense mechanisms ensuring appropriate function of the mucosal barrier, existence of unique types of lymphocytes and their products, transport of polymeric immunoglobulins through epithelial cells into secretions (sIgA) and migration and homing of cells originating from the mucosal organised tissues in mucosae and exocrine glands. The important role of commensal bacteria in development of optimally functioning mucosal immune system was demonstrated in germ-free animals (using gnotobiological techniques). Involvement of commensal microflora and its components with strong immunoactivating properties (e.g. LPS, peptidoglycans, superantigens, bacterial DNA, Hsp) in etiopathogenetic mechanism of various complex, multifactorial and multigenic diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases, periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, allergy, multiorgan failure, colon cancer has been recently suggested. Animal models of human diseases reared in defined gnotobiotic conditions are helping to elucidate the aetiology of these frequent disorders. An improved understanding of commensal bacteria-host interactions employing germ-free animal models with selective colonisation strategies combined with modern molecular techniques could bring new insights into the mechanisms of mucosal immunity and also into pathogenetic mechanisms of several infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases. Regulation of microflora composition (e.g. by probiotics and prebiotics) offers the possibility to influence the development of mucosal and systemic immunity but it can play a role also in prevention and treatment of some diseases.

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Probiotics and prevention of atopic disease: 4-year follow-up of a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Marko Kalliomäki, Seppo Salminen, Tuija Poussa … (2003)

Perinatal administration of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (ATCC 53103), reduces incidence of atopic eczema in at-risk children during the first 2 years of life (infancy). We have therefore assessed persistence of the potential to prevent atopic eczema at 4 years. Atopic disease was diagnosed on the basis of a questionnaire and a clinical examination. 14 of 53 children receiving lactobacillus had developed atopic eczema, compared with 25 of 54 receiving placebo (relative risk 0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.97). Skin prick test reactivity was the same in both groups: ten of 50 children previously given lactobacillus compared with nine of 50 given placebo tested positive. Our results suggest that the preventive effect of lactobacillus GG on atopic eczema extends beyond infancy.

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Bacteriocins of gram-positive bacteria.

J R Tagg, Brian Jack, Ratna B. Ray (1995)

In recent years, a group of antibacterial proteins produced by gram-positive bacteria have attracted great interest in their potential use as food preservatives and as antibacterial agents to combat certain infections due to gram-positive pathogenic bacteria. They are ribosomally synthesized peptides of 30 to less than 60 amino acids, with a narrow to wide antibacterial spectrum against gram-positive bacteria; the antibacterial property is heat stable, and a producer strain displays a degree of specific self-protection against its own antibacterial peptide. In many respects, these proteins are quite different from the colicins and other bacteriocins produced by gram-negative bacteria, yet customarily they also are grouped as bacteriocins. Although a large number of these bacteriocins (or bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances) have been reported, only a few have been studied in detail for their mode of action, amino acid sequence, genetic characteristics, and biosynthesis mechanisms. Nevertheless, in general, they appear to be translated as inactive prepeptides containing an N-terminal leader sequence and a C-terminal propeptide component. During posttranslational modifications, the leader peptide is removed. In addition, depending on the particular type, some amino acids in the propeptide components may undergo either dehydration and thioether ring formation to produce lanthionine and beta-methyl lanthionine (as in lantibiotics) or thio ester ring formation to form cystine (as in thiolbiotics). Some of these steps, as well as the translocation of the molecules through the cytoplasmic membrane and producer self-protection against the homologous bacteriocin, are mediated through specific proteins (enzymes). Limited genetic studies have shown that the structural gene for such a bacteriocin and the genes encoding proteins associated with immunity, translocation, and processing are present in a cluster in either a plasmid, the chromosome, or a transposon. Following posttranslational modification and depending on the pH, the molecules may either be released into the environment or remain bound to the cell wall. The antibacterial action against a sensitive cell of a gram-positive strain is produced principally by destabilization of membrane functions. Under certain conditions, gram-negative bacterial cells can also be sensitive to some of these molecules. By application of site-specific mutagenesis, bacteriocin variants which may differ in their antimicrobial spectrum and physicochemical characteristics can be produced. Research activity in this field has grown remarkably but sometimes with an undisciplined regard for conformity in the definition, naming, and categorization of these molecules and their genetic effectors. Some suggestions for improved standardization of nomenclature are offered.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Cent Eur J Immunol

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Cent Eur J Immunol

Journal ID (publisher-id): CEJI

Title: Central-European Journal of Immunology

Publisher: Polish Society of Experimental and Clinical Immunology

ISSN (Print): 1426-3912

ISSN (Electronic): 1644-4124

Publication date (Electronic): 17 April 2014

Publication date (Print): 2014

Volume: 39

Issue: 1

Pages: 104-108

Affiliations

[1 ]Department of Alergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland

[2 ]Allergy and Dermatology Center ”Art Clinic”, Poznan, Poland

Author notes

Correspondence: Wioletta Żukiewicz-Sobczak, Department of Alergology and Environmental Hazards, Institute of Rural Health, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin. e-mail: wiola.zukiewiczsobczak@ 123456gmail.com

Article

Publisher ID: 42134

DOI: 10.5114/ceji.2014.42134

PMC ID: 4439985

PubMed ID: 26155109

SO-VID: faff1453-f271-4bb7-bfbe-df0b3c00d5e9

License:

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License, permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Probiotic lactic acid bacteria and their potential in the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases

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European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology

Most cited references 44

Commensal bacteria (normal microflora), mucosal immunity and chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Probiotics and prevention of atopic disease: 4-year follow-up of a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

Bacteriocins of gram-positive bacteria.

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