Manole COJOCARU1,2 , Gheorghe GIURGIU3
Abstract. In recent years, the intestinal microbiota has emerged as a significant contributor to the development of allergic diseases. Dysbiosis or microbial imbalance, can predispose individuals to allergies, while a balanced gut microbiome, fosters immune tolerance. The immune mechanisms involved in food allergies are complex and little is known about the possible role of the gut microbiota in the etiopathogenesis of food allergies. We hypothesized that the changes observed following diet therapy in food allergy would be associated with remission, rather than merely a response to diet that is independent of clinical outcome. Environmental factors such as urbanization, pollution, and dietary habits also significantly contribute to food allergies risk. It is not clear whether microbiota change in food allergies is an outcome of intestinal barrier defect or the cause of intestinal barrier dysfunction and inflammation. Manipulation of the gut microbiota as a method for modifying atopy, may be attempted in many ways including avoidance of certain foods, supplementation with probiotics and prebiotics, optimizing nutrient intake, minimizing stress, antimicrobial therapy, correction and prevention of low stomach acid, and fecal microbiota transplantation. The resident microbiota is important in maintaining structural and functional integrity of the gut and in immune system regulation. However, the precise mechanisms related to the effects of the microbiome on the pathogenesis of allergic diseases are unknown. Therapeutic diet ameliorates dysbiosis associated with food allergy and induces changes in the microbiome associated with remission. A better understanding of the disease mechanisms involved in allergic diseases is critical to develop prevention and treatment strategies. There was an increase of the intestinal permeability reported in patients with food allergies and a reduction of the gut microbiome diversity. Modifying gut microbiome during early years may be a preventive and therapeutic option in high-risk groups.
Keywords: food allergies, host-microbiome interaction, immune regulation.
DOI 10.56082/annalsarscibio.2025.2.60
¹Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3, Ilfov Street, 050045 Bucharest, Romania
2 Titu Maiorescu University, Faculty of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania, cojocaru.manole@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7192-7490
3 Deniplant-Aide Sante Medical Center, Biomedicine, Bucharest, Romania deniplant@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5449-2712
PUBLISHED in Annals Academy of Romanian Scientists Series on Biological Sciences, Volume 14 no 2, 2025