Relationship between formation of intestinal microflora and food allergy in infants / 实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the hypothesis that food allergy in infants may be associated with variation in their intestinal microflora. The formation of intestinal microflora in healthy infants and changes in food allergic infants were detected.Methods 16S rRNA gene sequences specific for bifidobacterium, lactobacillus and escherichia coli in fecal were quantitatively detected by real-time PCR. The three fecal floras were assessed in 71 healthy infants and 100 infants with food allergy. Results After birth,there were bifidobacteria colonized in infantile intestine,then the number increased rapidly up to 5 times at the sixth month, which was always the preponderant flora. Lactobacilli was also presented in infantile intestine 1 month after birth and augment gradually. The number of Escherichia coli was less than bifidobacteria and lactobacilli and appeared to decline during the early infants. The number of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the infants with food allergy were markedly less than that in the healthy infants, but escherichia coli was significantly more than that in the healthy infants.Conclusions During the first year of life,the intestinal microflora in infants is in a developing process. Compared with the healthy infants,bifidobacteria and lactobacilli decrease, but escherichia coli increase in the food allergic infants.These results indicate that the probiotics may be benefit to the prevention and treatment of food allergy.