Antibiotic use can have knock-on effect on the immune system
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Children exposed to antibiotics in the uterus or early in life do not generally have an increased risk of developing autoimmune conditions in adolescence, according to study of more than 6 million children. But the relationship is complicated.
The idea that antibiotics can contribute to autoimmunity can be traced back to the 1980s, when David Strachan looked at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, suggested that fewer infections and cleaner around can explain increasing the number of childhood.
This led to the development of the hygiene hypothesis. This proposer, early exposure to certain microbes, trains the immune system, which prevents it from overreacting to harmless substances and causing allergic reactions or autoimmune conditions. These conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus, occur when immune cells accidentally attack the body’s outer tissue.
Since then, several studies have shown that Mayry microbes – especially those in our gut – shape our immune system. For example, some compound compounds produce essentials for the development of specialized immune cells, called regulatory T cells that help prevent autoimmunity. This has led to questions about this antibiotics, which meaningfully changes the intestinal microbioma, can contribute to the development of autoimmune conditions.
“Over the years, there has been a lot of preclinical work done, mostly in animal models that strongly support this notion that antibiotics or modulation of the microbioma have a major impact on our immunity,” says Martin Kriegel at the University of Münster in Germany.
For example, a 2016 study in mice found that repeated use of antibiotics early in life increases the risk of type 1 diabetes. Mouse genetically susceptible to the condition was the exhibition for an antibiotic three times – once through their mother’s breast milk and again at. 4 and 5 weekends. About 50 percent of male mice and 80 per Shutter of female mice in this group developed type 1 diabetes by 30 weeks of age. In comparison, only approx. 25 percent of the male microphone and 50 per Hundred female microphone that was not an exhibition for antibiotics, the condition.
Human studies have also suggested a link. An analysis of more than 10 million people published earlier this year found that they prescribed an antibiotic had a 40 per year. A hundred greater risk, on a watering, of the later diagnosed with inflammatory bowel ward. Meanwhile, a 2019 survey found by more than 110,000 people that antibiotic prescriptions were associated with a 60 percent greater chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
But otherwise research has shown the opposite. For example, a 2017 study of more than 15,000 children tested for type 1 diabetes or celiac disease found no correlation between the development of these conditions and the use of antibiotics before 4 years.
Most recently, Eun-Young Choi traces Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea and her colleagues occurrence of six autoimmune conditions-type 1 diabetes, chronic childhood arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, lupus and hashimoto’s disease in more than if mothers had an infection during pregnancy. About 1.5 million of their mothers were prescribed antibiotics while pregnant. The researchers then did the same in a separate group of 3.4 million children who had an infection within six months of being born, of which 1.9 million were treated with an antibiotic.
After birthday care for factors such as type of infection, socio -economic status and gender, the researchers found no overall correlation between children’s exhibition to antibiotics in utero or early childhood and later risk of developing an autoimmune state in adolescence.
So why is there so much discrimination between studies? The problem is that the intestinal microbioma is extremely complex. A large number of factors affect it, making it almost impossible for researchers to explain them all. E.g. Obligated none of the mentioned studies for dieting, which can signal to change intestinal microbiota.
Different antibiotics can also have different effects. For example, Choi and her team found a connection between the use of broad -spectrum antibiotics during pregnancy and children who later developed Crohn’s disease. The age of the participants by exposure also seemed to do something. The prescribed antibiotics within two months of BIRT had a 30 percent greater risk of hashimoto’s disease.
This does not mean that we must refrain from antibiotics. “When antibiotic use during pregnancy is recommended, it is because evidence suggests that the benefits outweigh the possible risks,” Christopher Zahn at American College of Obstetricians and gynecologists in Washington DC. For example, urinary tract infections increase the risk of premature birth, low birth weight and serious complications, such as sepsis, he says.
Some antibiotics can even protect against autoimmunity. A study from 2018 found that infection with the pathogenic bacteria Enterococcus Gallinarum Triggered autoimmunity in mice disposed of such conditions. Treating them with antibiotics not only prevented them from dying, but also prevented their immune cells from attacking their bodies.
“So it’s all just very complicated,” says Kriegel.
The latest findings still have to provide insurance about antibiotics for those who are pregnant or have young children, Zahn says.
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