It is believed that probiotics can affect the onset and course of allergic processes. A research team led by Sergio Bonini of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology confirms this fact.

Whatever the causes of allergies, the results of a number of studies indicate that with allergopathology, probiotics stimulate the immune system and can help fight against allergies. At the same time, data on the use of probiotics for intestinal diseases indicate their possible immunosuppressive effect on various manifestations of allergies.

Possible mechanisms of action for probiotics include competitive microbial interaction, production of antibacterial metabolites, changes in the gut lining, and modulation of the immune response. It should be noted that the efficacy of probiotics in allergic diseases has so far been established only on the basis of observation results.

In a study on viral hepatitis A, in which 33,000 people participated, the same group of scientists did not reveal the development of concomitant allergies in patients with viral hepatitis A. It turned out that patients with anti-hepatitis A antibodies were less susceptible to sensitization skin tests and less likely to have asthma than HIV-negative patients. However, patients who had antibodies against the measles, rubella and chickenpox viruses showed no "protection" against allergies.

It has been observed that with certain intestinal infections, a rare occurrence of concomitant allergic manifestations is recorded. Differences are also noted in the composition of the intestinal microflora in different groups of patients with manifestations of allergies. In inflammatory bowel disease, the regulation of the immune system is disrupted, which results in the body's inability to stop developing inflammation. First of all, this is due to the uncontrolled response of activated Th1 lymphocytes. Probiotics can act through a layer of bacteria that lines the lining of the colon and also prevents the bacteria from adhering to the intestinal epithelium.

It is established that the appointment of lactobacilli to mothers or children at an early age prevents the further development of atopic dermatitis.

Based on these data, it can be concluded that the intestine plays an important role in the functioning of the immune system, both in healthy people and in pathology, and the possible role of changes in the intestinal microflora in the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases should be considered.