Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2011 Aug;22(5):537-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3038.2010.01132.x.
Prebiotic oligosaccharides influence the intestinal microbiota and can positively modulate the infant's immune system. It was demonstrated that a special prebiotic mixture (Immunofortis(®)) of short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides (scGOS) and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (lcFOS) can reduce the cumulative incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in infants at risk for allergy as determined using the AD symptom score (SCORAD). Additionally, it was shown very recently that immunoglobulin free light-chain (Ig-fLC) might be involved in the pathophysiology of allergic disease. Increased Ig-fLC concentrations were found in patients suffering from AD, cow's milk allergy, allergic rhinitis, or asthma. In this study, the effect of supplementation of scGOS/lcFOS on the Ig-fLC plasma concentrations in infants at risk for allergy was assessed. The plasma kappa and lambda Ig-fLC concentrations were measured in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, in which infants at risk for developing allergic disease received a hypoallergenic whey formula containing 8 g/l of the scGOS/lcFOS mixture (n = 34) or maltodextrin as a placebo (n=40) for 6 months. After intervention, plasma samples were collected, and total plasma concentrations of lambda and kappa Ig-fLC were analyzed using ELISA. Total kappa and lambda Ig-fLC plasma concentrations were higher in infants suffering from AD when compared to infants without any sign of AD. In infants receiving the prebiotic mixture, the Ig-fLC levels were significantly lower compared to the placebo-fed infants (p<0.001). Interestingly, lambda Ig-fLC concentrations were positively correlated with total IgE (p<0.05). These data demonstrate for the first time that the specific scGOS/lcFOS mixture lowered kappa and lambda Ig-fLC plasma concentrations in infants at high risk for allergies when compared to infants receiving placebo formula. Because Ig-fLC concentrations were increased in infants suffering from AD, this may have contributed, at least in part, to the reduced incidence in AD as described previously. This suggests a possible role for Ig-fLC in the pathophysiology of AD in infants at risk for allergy development.
益生元低聚糖会影响肠道菌群，并能积极调节婴儿的免疫系统。研究表明，一种特殊的益生元混合物（Immunofortis(®)），即短链半乳糖寡糖（scGOS）和长链果糖寡糖（lcFOS），可以降低过敏风险婴儿的特应性皮炎（AD）累计发病率，这是通过 AD 症状评分（SCORAD）确定的。此外，最近的研究表明，免疫球蛋白游离轻链（Ig-fLC）可能与过敏疾病的病理生理学有关。患有 AD、牛奶过敏、过敏性鼻炎或哮喘的患者的 Ig-fLC 浓度升高。在这项研究中，评估了 scGOS/lcFOS 补充对过敏风险婴儿的 Ig-fLC 血浆浓度的影响。在一项双盲、安慰剂对照、随机试验中测量了婴儿的血浆κ和λ Ig-fLC 浓度，其中患有过敏性疾病的婴儿接受了含有 8 g/L scGOS/lcFOS 混合物的低过敏性乳清配方（n=34）或麦芽糊精作为安慰剂（n=40），持续 6 个月。干预后，收集血浆样本，并使用 ELISA 分析总血浆中 λ和 κ Ig-fLC 的浓度。与没有任何 AD 迹象的婴儿相比，患有 AD 的婴儿的总 κ和 λ Ig-fLC 血浆浓度更高。与接受安慰剂喂养的婴儿相比，接受益生元混合物的婴儿的 Ig-fLC 水平显著降低（p<0.001）。有趣的是，λ Ig-fLC 浓度与总 IgE 呈正相关（p<0.05）。这些数据首次表明，与接受安慰剂配方的婴儿相比，高过敏风险婴儿中特定的 scGOS/lcFOS 混合物降低了 κ 和 λ Ig-fLC 血浆浓度。因为 AD 患儿的 Ig-fLC 浓度升高，这可能至少部分解释了先前描述的 AD 发病率降低。这表明 Ig-fLC 在过敏风险婴儿 AD 的病理生理学中可能具有一定作用。
