Antibiotics -- a Cause for Allergies?
June 1, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The rates of allergies and asthma have increased significantly over the past 100 years. Now, researchers say studying the use of antibiotics may bring them a step closer to figuring out why.
Researchers from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor conducted a study to determine if antibiotic use is linked to allergies in mice.
They treated mice with antibiotics for five days to weaken bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. The mice were then exposed to the yeast Candida albicans, which is responsible for causing a specific type of infection. Increased growth of C. albicans is a common side effect of antibiotics.
The mice were exposed to mold spores. Results show mice that received antibiotics and C. albicans colonization in the gastrointestinal tract had increased lung sensitivity compared to untreated mice.
Mairi Noverr, Ph.D., from the University of Michigan, says, “The studies presented are the first direct demonstration that antibiotic therapy can promote the development of an allergic airway response."
SOURCE: 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans, May 23-27, 2004
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