Differences in the gut bacterial flora of healthy and milk-hypersensitive adults, as measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization

We enumerated the predominant gut genera from fecal samples of nine healthy and eight milk-hypersensitive adults both before and after 4 weeks Lactoba cillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) supplementation. The anaerobic intestinal microfl ora of milk-hypersensitive adults was found to resemble that of healthy adu lts, LGG-consumption resulted in a significant increase in the number of bi fidobacteria in healthy but not in milk-hypersensitive subjects, as well as a general increase in bacterial numbers in all other bacterial genera test ed in both groups. In conclusion, the composition of the gut microbiota in milk-hypersensitive adults appears to be normal. LGG may have potential in reinforcing the endogenous flora. (C) 2001 Federation of European Microbiol ogical Societies. published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.