Influence of yogurt consumption on immune response to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.

RACEDO S., J. VILLENA, G. AGÜERO, Y S. ALVAREZ.

BIOCELL

ESTUDIO SIGMA S.R.L.

Lugar: BUENOS AIRES.; Año: 2006 vol. 30 p. 172 - 172

0327-9545

Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) may result in asympto- matic carriage, mucosal or invasive disease. Recent studies have given support that yogurt consumption may indeed be beneficial to health and it has been suggested that it may increase pathogen cleareance and reduce lung injury. The aim of this work was to examine the influence of yogurt consumption on local immune response of mice infected with Sp. Conventional balance diet  of swiss-albine adult mice was supplemented for 5 consecutive days with yogurt (5dy).The local immune response was evaluated before and after challenged with Sp (106 CFU ml-1mouse-1) during 15 days postinfection (dpi): Total and differential blood (B) and broncho alveolar (BAL) leukocyte counts; Mieloperoxidase (MPO) activity in B and lung homogenate (LH); % of Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT)+ phagocityc cells from BAL and IgA+ producing cells in BALT (bronchus associate lymphoid tissue) by IF. The 5dy group showed increase of the number of BAL leucocytes at 1dpi. (p<0.05). A significant increase of MPO activity in B and LH, and NBT+cells % in early time postinfection was observed in this group (p<0.05). Moreover, there was a significant increase of IgA+ cells in BALT on 10 and 15 dpi in mice treated (p<0.05).Yogurt consumption showed an impor -tant influence on the local immune response to S. pneumoniae infection, wich would be related with a higher clearance of pathogen and reduced lung injury observed in a previous work.