Home

Date		Article
06 Jun 2008		Friendly bacteria curb hay fever trigger

		New findings suggest that consuming a probiotic drink every day could help avoid hay fever. The drink alters the immune system to prevent the underlying causes of symptoms, say researchers led by Professor Claudio Nicoletti of the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, UK. Professor Nicoletti explains that in hay fever, the immune system mistakes pollen spores for dangerous invaders and produces too much of the antibody IgE. This then triggers the symptoms of hay fever. For the study, people who often get hay fever in the summer were given either a probiotic drink or an identical-looking milk drink for five months. The probiotic drink contained Lactobacillus casei. Among the people who took the drink, IgE levels were lower during both at the peak pollen season and four weeks afterwards. They also had higher levels of an antibody called IgG, which is thought to protect against allergic reactions. Researcher Dr Kamal Ivory said: "The probiotic strain we tested changed the way the body's immune cells respond to grass pollen, restoring a more balanced immune response." Professor Nicoletti said: "The probiotic significantly reduced the production of molecules associated with allergy." However, he warned that clinical symptoms were not measured in this study, adding: "This was a pilot study based on small numbers of patients." Ivory, K. et al. Oral delivery of Lactobacillus casei Shirota modifies allergen-induced immune responses in allergic rhinitis. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, published online May 28, 2008.

News article