Specific probiotics alleviate allergic rhinitis during the birch pollen season

Specific probiotics alleviate allergic rhinitis during the birch pollen season
-Arthur C Ouwehand, Merja Nermes, et al.
World J Gastroenterol. 2009 July 14; 15(26): 3261–3268. doi:  10.3748/wjg.15.3261

Excerpts:

• Birch pollen allergy was shown to be associated with changes in fecal microbiota composition. The specific combination of probiotics used was shown to prevent the pollen-induced infiltration of eosinophils into the nasal mucosa, and indicated a trend for reduced nasal symptoms.
• ...our results indicate that gut microbiota are involved in regulating the inflammatory processes also in airway allergies. 
• The fecal levels of bifidobacteria, clostridia and Bacteroides were reduced at the peak of the birch pollen season. 
• In conclusion, our study showed that consumption of a combination of L. acidophilus NCFM^TM and B. lactis Bl-04 could positively influence markers of respiratory allergy, especially in the mucosae, and also resulted in a tendency for a reduction in reported nasal symptoms.
• Probiotics may provide an alternative or complementary treatment for pollen allergies. A future study could investigate whether this would lead to a reduced use of antihistamines.

Any benefits of probiotics in allergic disorders?

Any benefits of probiotics in allergic disorders?
-Ozdemir, O
Division of Allergy/Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Private SEMA Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Allergy Asthma Proc. 2010 Mar-Apr;31(2):103-11. doi: 10.2500/aap.2010.31.3313.

Excerpts:

• There is insufficient but very promising evidence to recommend the addition of probiotics to foods for prevention and treatment of allergic diseases, especially atopic dermatitis.
  
• Clinical improvement especially in allergic rhinitis and IgE-sensitized (atopic) eczema has been reported too.
  

Editor: How can data be "insufficient" but "very promising"?

Food allergy and eosinophilic esophagitis: Learning what to avoid

Food allergy and eosinophilic esophagitis: Learning what to avoid
-Sandra Hong, MD, Nicola Vogel, MD
doi: 10.3949/ccjm.77a.09018 Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine January 2010 vol. 77 1 51-59. (c)2010 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Excerpts:

• The gut flora. When mice are raised in a germ-free environment, they fail to develop normal tolerance.They are also more likely to become sensitized if they are treated with antibiotics or if they lack toll-like receptors that recognize bacterial lipopolysaccharides. Furthermore, human studies suggest that probiotics promote tolerance, especially in preventing atopic dermatitis, although the studies have had conflicting results.
• The gastric pH. Murine and human studies reveal that antacid medications increase the risk of food allergy.
• Three types of immune responses to food. About 20% of all people alter their diet because of concerns about adverse reactions to foods. These adverse reactions include metabolic disorders (eg, lactose intolerance), a reaction to a pharmacologic component such as caffeine or a toxic contaminant of a food (eg, bacterial food poisoning), psychological reactions (eg, food aversion), and documented immunologic responses to a food (eg, food allergy)
  Immunologic reactions to foods can be divided into three categories: mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE), non-IgE-mediated, and mixed. Therefore, these disorders can present as an acute, potentially life-threatening reaction or as a chronic disease such as eosinophilic gastoenteropathy.

Atopic syndrome

• "Atopic syndrome is a predisposition toward developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions. Atopy may have a hereditary component, although contact with the allergen must occur before the hypersensitivity reaction can develop."
•  Many EE patients suffer from concurrent autoimmune and allergic disease.
• Patients with atopy usually develop what is referred to as the “allergic triad” of symptoms, i.e., eczema (atopic dermatitis), hay fever (allergic rhinitis), and allergy-induced asthma (allergic asthma).
• They also have a tendency to have food allergies, and other symptoms characterized by their hyperallergic state. For example, eosinophilic esophagitis is found associated with atopic allergies.
• Although atopy has various definitions, in general, it is defined by the presence of elevated levels of total and allergen-specific IgE in the serum, leading to positive skin-prick tests to common allergens.
• There is a strong genetic predisposition toward atopic allergies, especially on the maternal side.

-Atopy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia