BIFIDOBACTERIUM LONGUM & BREVE COLONIZE AND PERSIST IN MICROFLORA OF INFANTS WITH FOOD ALLERGY

Introduction: The probiotic’s ability to alter the intestinal microbiotais controversial.Methods: Infants aged 10-14 months, allergic to egg/milk (group I)received Tribif (Bifidobacterium longum [BL], breve [BB] and infantis [M-63] for 30 days. Fecal samples at 0, 7, 15, 30, 60 and 90days were evaluated by specific BL and BB primers. Two controlgroups of egg/milk IgE-positive infants with negative food challenge(group II) and IgE-negative healthy infants (group III) wereevaluated for BL and BB in basal conditions.Results: Of 25 infants (mean age 13.28 2.13 months), 9 werechallenge-positive to egg (5) or milk (4). Group II included 6 infants,group III 10. BL harbours the microflora irrespective of the atopicstatus; BB was absent in 5/25, all in group I. The peak concentrationsof BL were reached at 7 days in 5/9, 15 days in 3/9, and 30 daysin 1/9. Using antibiotics determines a dramatic fell of BL concentration.BB peaks at 7 days in 2/9, 15 days in 3/9, 30 days in 3/9. Thepatients treated with antibiotic during the administration ofTribif had BB peaks at 30 days.Conclusions: BL and BB are part of the normal bacterial microflora.Lack of BB colonization may be associated with atopic status. Asignificant increase in BL and BB concentration suggests thatTribif does colonize the intestinal tract. An higher effect when thebaseline concentration is low suggests that Tribif restores theecological niche of bifidobacteria when it is depleted.