PROMOTION OF IGA IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH CROHNS-DISEASE BY ORAL BACTERIOTHERAPY WITH LACTOBACILLUS GG

The effect of oral bacteriotherapy with human Lactobacillus casei stra in GG (10(10) colony-forming units twice daily for 10 days) was invest igated in Crohn's disease and in juvenile chronic arthritis which are chronic inflammatory diseases associated with impaired mucosal barrier function, During oral bacteriotherapy, the gut immune response was in directly assessed by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunoassay in 14 child ren with Crohn's disease, in 9 with juvenile chronic arthritis, and in 7 controls. The immunostimulatory effect of Lactobacillus GG was spec ific for Crohn's disease, irrespective of its activity: the mean (95% confidence interval) number of specific antibody secreting cells in th e IgA class to beta-lactoglobulin increased significantly from 0.2 (0. 04-1.3) to 1.4 (0.3-6.0)/10(6) cells and to casein from 0.3 (0.1-1.4) to 1.0(0.2-4.8)/10(6) cells. The results indicate that orally administ ered Lactobacillus GG has the potential to increase the gut IgA immune response and thereby to promote the gut immunological barrier. Conseq uently, Lactobacillus GG could provide an adjunct nutritional therapy for Crohn's disease.