Gut flora affects maturation of B cells in infants
Infants whose gut is colonised by E. coli bacteria early in life have a higher number of memory B cells in their blood, reveals a study of infants carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The bacteria in our gut outnumber the cells in our bodies by a factor of ten and are extremely important for our health because they stimulate the maturation of the immune system. The normal bacterial flora in the gut is established at the very beginning of our lives, but an increasingly hygienic lifestyle has led to changes in this flora.
Colonised ever later
These days Swedish children are colonised by E. coli bacteria later and later. They also have a less varied bacterial flora and a smaller turnover of bacterial strains in the gut than children in developing countries. Meanwhile, diseases caused by deficiencies in immune regulation have increased sharply, making allergies a major public health issue in the Western World.
B cells play key role in development of allergies
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Academy have looked at B cells, a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies that can protect the body against infection and play a key role in the development of allergies. By studying 65 healthy newborn babies in the Västra Götaland region, researcher Anna-Carin Lundell and her colleagues were able to show that infants whose gut is colonised by E. coli bacteria during the first few weeks of life had a higher number of memory B cells at the age of both four and 18 months.
"The results are important for understanding the relationship between our complex bacterial gut flora and our immune system, and show what we risk losing with an excessively hygienic lifestyle," Anna-Carin Lundell explains.
"Most of the bacteria around us are harmless, and we should see them as a very important form of training so that our children's immune systems mature properly. Healthy newborns should not be over-protected against natural exposure of the gut flora."
More information: The article "Infant B cell memory differentiation and early gut bacterial colonization" is soon to be published in the Journal of Immunology. May 2012
Journal reference:
Journal of Immunology
Provided by
University of Gothenburg
-
Resistant gut bacteria will not go away by themselves
Jun 19, 2007 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Healthy gut flora could prevent obesity
May 25, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Why do the different people's bodies react differently to a high-fat diet?
Apr 26, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Stress affects the balance of bacteria in the gut and immune response
Mar 21, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Exposure to antibiotics linked to severity of allergic asthma: research
Mar 16, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
-
Motion perception revisited: High Phi effect challenges established motion perception assumptions
Apr 23, 2013 |
3 / 5 (2) |
2
-
Anything you can do I can do better: Neuromolecular foundations of the superiority illusion (Update)
Apr 02, 2013 |
4.5 / 5 (11) |
5
-
The visual system as economist: Neural resource allocation in visual adaptation
Mar 30, 2013 |
5 / 5 (2) |
9
-
Separate lives: Neuronal and organismal lifespans decoupled
Mar 27, 2013 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
0
-
Sizing things up: The evolutionary neurobiology of scale invariance
Feb 28, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
14
-
siphon and bernouli theorum
1 hour ago
-
Hot gas expansion rate into outer space
1 hour ago
-
Magnetic field lines through copper
6 hours ago
-
Lagrangian of object with air resistance
9 hours ago
-
Does electromagnetic waves are generated by dc current?
9 hours ago
-
Please check what's in the Ulaby book regarding reflection.
14 hours ago
- More from Physics Forums - Classical Physics
More news stories
Pollen count apps for smartphones are nothing to sneeze at
Kate O'Reilly's spring allergy survival kit includes the usual stuff - nasal sprays, allergy pills and a box of tissues. This season, she's added a new weapon to her line of defense: an app on her smartphone.
Immunology
21 hours ago |
not rated yet |
0
Going live: Immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis
Biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. To understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would need to ...
Immunology
May 24, 2013 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
|
Vaccine blackjack: IL-21 critical to fight against viral infections
(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at Emory Vaccine Center have shown that an immune regulatory molecule called IL-21 is needed for long-lasting antibody responses in mice against viral infections.
Immunology
May 23, 2013 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
|
Fast-acting mothers' milk for healthier babies
Human breastmilk responds quickly to protect the child when there is an infection in mothers or babies, according to new international research led by The University of Western Australia.
Immunology
May 23, 2013 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
New immune system discovered
(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.
Immunology
May 20, 2013 |
4.8 / 5 (30) |
9
|
First drug to improve heart failure mortality in over a decade
Coenzyme Q10 decreases all cause mortality by half, according to the results of a multicentre randomised double blind trial presented today at Heart Failure 2013 congress. It is the first drug to improve heart failure mortality ...
Hormone levels may provide key to understanding psychological disorders in women
Women at a particular stage in their monthly menstrual cycle may be more vulnerable to some of the psychological side-effects associated with stressful experiences, according to a study from UCL.
Heart failure accelerates male 'menopause'
Heart failure accelerates the aging process and brings on early andropausal syndrome (AS), according to research presented today at the Heart Failure Congress 2013. AS, also referred to as male 'menopause', was four times ...
Researchers identify first drug targets in childhood genetic tumor disorder
Two mutations central to the development of infantile myofibromatosis (IM)—a disorder characterized by multiple tumors involving the skin, bone, and soft tissue—may provide new therapeutic targets, according to researchers ...
Feds fight morning-after pill age ruling in NY
(AP)—Department of Justice lawyers have again asked a federal appeals court in New York to delay lifting age restrictions and prescription requirements on an emergency contraceptive popularly known as the morning-after ...
Death highest in heart failure patients admitted in January, on Friday, and overnight
Mortality and length of stay are highest in heart failure patients admitted in January, on Friday, and overnight, according to research presented today at the Heart Failure Congress 2013. The analysis of nearly 1 million ...