Abstract
The intestinal microflora continually evolve during the early stages of life in mammals. These diverse microbial communities play a significant role in maturation of the neonatal immune system, maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis and also contributing to induction of protective immunity to various oral and systemic vaccines. Perturbation of either the colonization process or composition of the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract results in development of various immune mediated inflammatory diseases and adversely affects the efficacy of several vaccines in children. Probiotics are increasingly used to treat various inflammatory diseases and also to enhance the efficacy of several vaccines. In this chapter, we will first describe colonization of the gut microflora in infants and the impact of the microflora on development of mucosal immunity. Subsequently, we will address the beneficial effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal physiology, the use of probiotics for the prophylaxis and treatment of various inflammatory diseases in children and the immunomodulatory effects of probiotics on mucosal and systemic vaccines.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Probiotics in Children |
Publisher | Nova Science Publishers Inc |
Pages | 99-122 |
Number of pages | 24 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781634838863 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781634838597 |
State | Published - Jan 1 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Children
- Ibd
- Immunity
- Microbiota
- Probiotics
- Vaccine
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine