It may seem strange, but disruption of the gut and lung microbiomes, (microorganisms found in a specific environment) is deeply rooted in the Asthma conundrum according to a growing number of medical researchers. There is a critical window in early life that affects the life a baby will live.
Disruption of the Microbiome in the Gut and Lung link to Asthma?
Word from the editor: This is part of a series of articles on the Microbiome and Asthma. The World Asthma Foundation, dedicated to Defeating Asthma aims to unpack a variety of issues including the clinical evidence that connects the Microbiome and Asthma while describing the mechanisms of this disease
This disruption referred to as “Dysbiosis” by medical experts is an imbalance between the types of organism present in a person’s natural microflora, especially that of the gut, thought to contribute to a range of conditions of ill health, including asthma.
Quote
Researchers at the Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, Medical University Vienna and the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Medical University also located in Vienna, Austria have published:
* What causes dysbiosis?
Dysbiosis of the gut and lung microbiome may lead to increased severity of asthmatic symptoms, including airway inflammation
* Treatment with probiotics can reduce inflammation and improve asthma control
* Gut dysbiosis increases intestinal permeability which allows inflammatory molecules to enter the blood stream – this triggers an immune response that leads to chronic low-grade systemic inflammation
* Probiotic administration reduces levels of proinflammatory cytokines in circulation by increasing production of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 and IL-22 from T regulatory cells (Tregs) within the gastrointestinal tract* There are many different types of bacteria found in both the gut and lungs – each has its own set effects on health; some promote immunity while others promote allergy responses or other inflammatory conditions like asthma
Key Findings
- humans are mostly microbial (in terms of numbers of cells and genes)
- immune dysfunction and misregulated inflammation are pivotal in the majority of NCDs
- microbiome status affects early immune education and risk of NCDs
- microbiome status affects the risk of certain infections.
Critical Window in Early Life
- The lungs are not sterile, as doctors once thought
- Disruption in gut and lung microbiomes can lead to asthma
- Probiotics can reverse dysbiosis and reduce inflammation
- There is a critical window in early life that points to whole-of-life
What You Need to Know
- The gut microbiome is a key player in asthma
- Dysbiosis of the gut and lung microbiome may lead to severity of asthma symptoms
- Probiotics can reduce inflammation and improve asthma control
- Gut dysbiosis allows inflammatory molecules into the bloodstream, triggering immune response
- Probiotics reduce inflammation by increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines
- Some gut and lung bacteria promote immunity, others promote allergy and inflammation
- There is a critical window in early life
