Gut Microbiome Might Play Important Role in Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases

Finland is adjacent to the Karelia region in northwest Russia, and Estonia is nearby. Yet the incidence of type 1 diabetes is more than fivefold higher and the incidence of allergies is two- to sixfold higher in Finland and Estonia than in Karelia. Why?

An international team assessed gut microbiomes monthly in 74 infants from Finland or Estonia who were matched for sex and HLA type (because certain HLA types confer higher risk for allergy and autoimmunity) with 74 infants from Russia. Particularly in the first year of life, Finnish and Estonian gut microbiomes contained more Bacteroides species, whereas the Bifidobacterium genus was more prevalent in Russian children. Finnish and Estonian infants also developed insulin autoantibodies earlier…