Managing allergy : role of probiotics

Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of atopic diseases, primarily in the western, industrialized countries. The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ postulates that this rise has been caused by reduced exposure to microbial stimuli in early life. However, this theory has been challenged by epidemiological data suggesting possible roles for other environmental factors, including diet in the epidemics of atopic diseases. At the same time, it is becoming clearer that gut microbiota may be crucial in the regulation of immune responses. A lot of factors may affect the microbiota composition and lead to immune dysregulation and inflammation or immune regulation and tolerance. In this article we review the recent literature that show possible value of the probiotics in the treatment and prevention of atopic diseases.