Adherence of probiotic bacteria to human intestinal mucus in healthy infants and during rotavirus infection

The concentration of fecal mucin and the adhesion of specific probiotics an d their combinations in the intestinal mucus of infants during and after ro tavirus diarrhea and in healthy children were determined. Mucus aas prepare d from fecal samples from 20 infants during and after rotavirus diarrhea an d from 10 healthy age-matched children. Mucin concentration was determined, and the adhesion of five probiotics-Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacil lus casei Shirota, Lactobacillus paracasei F19, Lactobacillus acidophilus L A5, and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12-and their combinations was tested in vi tro. The mean concentrations of fecal mucin during and after rotavirus diar rhea, 15.2 and 14.1 mg/g, were comparable to that in healthy children, 14.9 mg/g. The adherence of probiotics ranged from 1 to 34% in healthy subjects as indicated for the following strains: L. rhamnosus GG, 34%; B. lactis Bb 12, 31%; L. acidophilus LA5, 4%; L. paracasei F19, 3%; and L. casei Shirota , 1% (P = 0.0001). The distinctive pattern of probiotic adherence was not i nfluenced by rotavirus diarrhea, The adhesion of Bb12 in the presence of GG increased from 31 to 39% in healthy infants (P = 0.018) and in episodes of diarrhea increased from 26 to 44% (P = 0.001). Rotavirus diarrhea does not decrease the production of fecal mucin or with respect to the adhesion of probiotic bacteria tested in vitro. Combination of specific probiotic strai ns may enhance adherence in a synergistic manner. Optimal clinical applicat ion of these interactions may offer novel therapeutic guidelines for the tr eatment and prevention of gastrointestinal infections.