Gastrointestinal Microbiota Impact on the Development of Food Allergy Immune Phenotype

Abstract

Recent technological advances have allowed researchers to more accurately describe gastrointestinal microbiota composition and its interaction with the host in health and disease. Lifestyle changes, including the large-scale use of antibiotics, alter both the composition and function of the intestinal microbiome, which predisposes the host to gastrointestinal and metabolic disease, as well as immune system dysfunction. The purpose of this review is to highlight some key concepts pertaining to the interaction between the gut microbiome and host, as well as to illustrate how this interaction influences immune system programming, more specifically, its impact on the development of the immune phenotype characteristic for food allergy. The following discussion will be about the role of the gastrointestinal microbiota, as one of the many factors which contribute to immune dysfunction in food allergy pathogenesis.