Role of the Gut Microbiota in Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The immune mechanisms involved in atopic dermatitis (AD) are complex and little is known about the possible role of the gut microbiota in the aetiopathogenesis of AD. A systematic review of the literature was performed according to PRISMA guidelines, and included 44 of 2,199 studies (26 observational and 18 interventional studies). Detection of gut microbiota was performed by either 16s rRNA PCR, or by culture. Observational studies were diverse regarding the age of study participants and the bacterial species investigated. Overall, the results were conflicting with regard to diversity of the gut microbiota, specific bacterial colonization, and subsequent risk of AD. Nearly half of the included interventional studies showed that an altered gut microbial colonization due to use of probiotics had a positive effect on the severity of AD. The remaining studies did not show an effect of probiotics on the severity of AD despite an alteration in the gut microbial composition. The role of the gut microbiome for the onset and severity of pre-existing AD remains controversial.

Probiotics, Non-Dairy Prebiotics and Postbiotics in Nutrition

“…They cure diseases of some organs or alleviate their symptoms, for instance irritable bowel syndrome, Helicobacter pylori gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhoea, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and atopic dermatitis. Clinical studies suggest the effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment of diseases involving the whole body, such as obesity, insulin resistance syndrome, and type 2 diabetes [26,27]. Probiotics also increase body immunity (immunomodulation).…”

The Effects of Chlorinated Drinking Water on the Assembly of the Intestinal Microbiome

“…Given that colonization of the GI tract with microbiota is bi-directionally related to the development of the immune system, studies have naturally explored the links between dysbiosis and early immune disorders such as allergic disease. Research has uncovered links between reduced diversity of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides and higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae with atopic dermatitis [9]. The development of IgE-mediated food allergy in infancy and the natural resolution of food allergy in childhood have been associated with changes in the gut microbiome [10].…”

Cesarean delivery and risk of atopic dermatitis

“…Children born by elective cesarean delivery lack the stress response that vaginal delivery induces, which may affect hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, ultimately delaying immune system maturation. As the role of the gut microbiota in the development of atopic dermatitis seems plausible, 3 cesarean delivery may impact the risk of atopic diseases. 4 Thus, we examined whether cesarean delivery increases the risk of atopic dermatitis compared with vaginal delivery.…”