Abstract
Probiotics are believed to prevent or reduce allergy development but the mechanism of their beneficial effect is still poorly understood. Immune characteristics of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in peripheral blood of perinatally probiotic-supplemented children of allergic mothers (51 children), non-supplemented children of allergic mothers (42 children), and non-supplemented children of healthy mothers (28 children) were compared at the age of 6-7 years.
Supplementation by probiotic E. coli strain decreases allergy incidence in high-risk children. In contrast to our expectation, proportion of Tregs has not been increased in probiotic supplemented children.
Beneficial effect of probiotics on newborn immature immune system could be, at least partially, explained by the modulating immune function of Tregs. In summary, we detected increased proportion of Tregs in peripheral blood of allergic children, their functional properties were decreased in comparison with the Tregs of healthy children.
A unifying hypothesis for these findings is that Treg numbers in allergic children are increased in order to compensate for decreased function.