Comparison of mucosal adhesion and species identification of bifidobacteria isolated from healthy and allergic infants

Fifty bifidobacteria strains were isolated from fecal samples of allergic and age matched healthy infants. Allergic infants were found to have an adult type Bifidobacterium flora with high levels of Bifidobacterium adolescentis. Healthy infants had a typical infant Bifidobacterium flora with high levels of Bifidobacterium bifidum. These isolates were tested for their adhesive properties to human intestinal mucus. The adhesion of the fecal bifidobacteria from healthy infants was significantly higher (P<0.0001) than for allergic infants. This suggests a correlation between allergic disease and the composition of the intestinal bifidobacteria flora which has reduced adhesive abilities to the intestinal mucus. Therefore, dietary supplementation of bifidobacteria typical for healthy infants, may be beneficial in the treatment of allergic disorders.