Common origin behind major childhood allergies discovered

Several major childhood allergies may all stem from the community of bacteria living in our gut, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital. The research, published in Nature Communications, identifies gut microbiome features and early life influences that are associated with children developing any of four common allergies — eczema, asthma, food allergy, and/or hay fever. The findings could lead to methods of predicting whether a child will develop allergies and ways to prevent them from developing at all.

For the study, researchers examined clinical assessments from 1,115 children who were tracked from birth to age five. The researchers evaluated the children’s microbiomes from stool samples collected at clinical visits at three months and one year of age.

The stool samples revealed a bacterial signature that was associated with the children developing any of the four allergies by five years of age. The bacterial signature is a hallmark of dysbiosis, or an imbalanced gut microbiota, that likely resulted in a compromised intestinal lining and an elevated inflammatory response within the gut.

Many factors can shape the infant's gut microbiota, including diet, how we are born, where we live, and our exposure to antibiotics. For example, antibiotics may wipe out sensitive bacteria, while breastfeeding tends to replenish and provide necessary food for bacteria in the infant's gut. The researchers examined how these types of influences affected the balance of gut microbiota and the development of allergies.

Reference: Dr. Stuart Turvey et al, Nature Communications, DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-40336-4