ESCHERICHIA-COLI AS A PROBIOTIC

The influence of oral treatment with a suspension of non-pathogenic Es cherichia coli cells (commercially available as: Symbioflor II(R)) on the morphological composition of the gut microflora and on the systemi c humoral immune response (the IgG-, IgA- and IgM-isotype) against the bacterial cells in the Symbioflor II preparation was measured. After a pretreatment period of 21 days, ten healthy human volunteers ingeste d 110(8) cells of E. coli daily for 14 days. Thereafter a follow-up p eriod of 28 days completed the study The results of this study indicat ed that no effect of the treatment on the composition of the gut micro flora could be observed. However, the immune-fluorescence measurements revealed a significant increase in circulating amounts of IgG directe d against the administered E. coli cells. It is concluded that the tre atment only resulted in a specific humoral immune response, while the gut microflora is not modulated.