A groundbreaking study led by Hiroshi Ohno at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) reveals how specific gut bacteria in one-month-old infants are linked to food sensitivities and the development of food allergies, particularly to eggs. Published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the study suggests that probiotics might serve as an early defense to prevent food allergies in at-risk infants.
Research has shown that the microbiota, the community of bacteria in the gut, plays a crucial role in immune system development and disease prevention. Despite this, the connection between gut bacteria and food allergies has been unclear. To address this gap, the team analyzed data from two groups of children in Japan for seven years, starting at birth. One group included 270 high-risk children from allergy-prone families, while the other consisted of 245 children from a previous allergy treatment study.
Food allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies a protein in food as harmful, triggering an allergic reaction. This response is marked by the presence of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, which vary depending on the food protein involved. The study specifically measured IgE levels for milk, peanut, egg white, and wheat allergies from the first year to age seven, while also collecting gut microbiota data starting one week after birth. The goal was to identify gut microbiota biomarkers that could predict food sensitization and allergies.
The team found that the gut microbiota composition at one month of age was the strongest predictor of food-specific IgE levels at age seven. This highlighted the critical role of the early neonatal period in immune system development. “The type of bacteria in the gut at this critical time is the best at predicting immune responses to food seven years down the road,” said Ohno.
The researchers focused on three dominant bacterial types present in the infants’ guts at one month. They discovered that babies with Bifidobacterium-dominant microbiomes (type-3) were less likely to develop egg white food sensitization or allergies compared to babies with other microbiome types. This trend held true for allergic reactions to egg whites later in life.
The study also explored factors influencing microbiome composition. The researchers found that delivery method and breastfeeding were key determinants. Infants born via normal delivery and those with less breastfeeding had Bifidobacterium-dominant microbiomes. In contrast, high breastfeeding led to type-1 microbiota, and cesarean section births with low breastfeeding resulted in type-2 microbiota.
These findings underscore the importance of early gut microbiota composition in the development of food allergies and suggest that probiotics or other interventions might help modulate gut bacteria, potentially reducing allergy risks, especially for infants at high risk.
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