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. 2018 Dec 11:2018:4561038.
doi: 10.1155/2018/4561038. eCollection 2018.

Bifidobacterium lactis Ameliorates the Risk of Food Allergy in Chinese Children by Affecting Relative Percentage of Treg and Th17 Cells

Qingbin Liu  1 , Wei Jing  1 , Wei Wang  1
Affiliations

Bifidobacterium lactis Ameliorates the Risk of Food Allergy in Chinese Children by Affecting Relative Percentage of Treg and Th17 Cells

Qingbin Liu et al. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. .

Abstract

We aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of Bifidobacterium lactis on food allergy by investigating the percentage of Treg and Th17 cells in Chinese children and related molecular mechanisms. A total of 256 children with food allergy were evenly assigned into two groups: BG, the children received 10 ml B. lactis (1 × 106/ml) daily, and CG, the children received the solution without B. lactis daily for three months. Allergic symptoms, serum IgE, and food antigen-specific IgE were measured. A mouse allergy model was established by using shrimp tropomyosin and treated with B. lactis. Relative mRNA levels of Treg- and Th17-associated cytokines were measured by using quantitative PCR. The percentage of Treg and Th17 cells in spleen were measured by using flow cytometry. After 3-month therapy, the allergic symptoms of the BG were remarkably reduced when compared with the CG (P < 0.05). Serum levels of IgE and food antigen-specific IgE were decreased too (P < 0.05). Similar results were also found in a mouse allergy model. After B. lactis treatment, the relative mRNA level of FoxP3 was significantly enhanced in the B. lactis therapy group when compared to positive controls. In addition, relative mRNA levels of FoxP3 and TGF-β associated with Treg cells were increased, whereas relative mRNA levels of IL-17A and IL-23 associated with Th17 were reduced. B. lactis treatment significantly increased the ratio of Treg and Th17 cells in a mouse allergy model (P < 0.05). B. lactis effectively alleviates allergic symptoms by increasing the ratio of Treg and Th17 cells.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The effects of B. lactis on serum levels of IgE in the children with food allergy. B. lactis group: the patients received B. lactis treatment. Control group: the patients received the solution without B. lactis treatment. n = 128 for each group. The statistical difference was significant if P < 0.05.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The effects of B. lactis on the percentage of Treg cells and Th17 cells in the children with food allergy. (a) The percentage of Treg cells. (b) The percentage of Th17 cells. (c) The ratio of Treg/Th17 cells. The statistical difference was significant if P < 0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Shrimp tropomyosin-induced anaphylaxis in the mice among different groups. A total of 24 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8 in each group): negative control group (NG), positive control group (PG), and experiment group (EG). The statistical difference was significant if P < 0.05.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The effects of B. lactis on serum levels of IgE in mouse allergy models. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8 in each group): negative control group (NG), positive control group (PG), and experiment group (EG). The mice from PG and EG were individually immunized with tropomyosin and cholera toxin. The mice from NG received cholera toxin in PBS. Subsequently, the mice from EG received B. lactis. n = 8 for each group. The statistical difference was significant if P < 0.05.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The effects of B. lactis on relative mRNA levels of Treg- and Th17-related cytokines in mouse allergy models. (a) The effects of B. lactis on mRNA levels of FoxP3 in mouse allergy models. (b) The effects of B. lactis on relative mRNA levels of TGF-β in mouse allergy models. (c) The effects of B. lactis on relative mRNA levels of IL-17A in mouse allergy models. (d) The effects of B. lactis on relative mRNA levels of IL-23 in mouse allergy models. The statistical difference was significant if P < 0.05.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The effects of B. lactis on the percentage of Treg cells in mouse allergy models. (a) The percentage of Treg cells in the NG. (b) The percentage of Treg cells in the PG. (c) The percentage of Treg cells in the EG. (d) The effects of B. lactis on the percentage of Treg cells. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8 in each group): negative control group (NG), positive control group (PG), and experiment group (EG). The mice from PG and EG were individually immunized with tropomyosin and cholera toxin. The mice from NG received cholera toxin in PBS. Subsequently, the mice from EG received B. lactis. CD4+ T cells were gated by CD4 expression and forward scatter characteristics. The statistical difference was significant if P < 0.05.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The effects of B. lactis on the percentage of Th17 cells in mouse allergy models. (a) The percentage of Th17 cells in the NG. (b) The percentage of Th17 cells in the PG. (c) The percentage of Th17  ells in the EG. (d) The effects of B. lactis on the percentage of Th17 cells. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8 in each group): negative control group (NG), positive control group (PG), and experiment group (EG). The mice from PG and EG were individually immunized with tropomyosin and cholera toxin. The mice from NG received cholera toxin in PBS. Subsequently, the mice from EG received B. lactis. n = 8 for each group. CD4+ T cells were gated by CD4 expression and forward scatter characteristics. The statistical difference was significant if P < 0.05.
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