ALLERGENS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES Can f 1Levels inHair andHomesofDifferentDog Breeds: Lack of Evidence to Describe Any Dog Breed as Hypoallergenic

REVIEWER COMMENTS. There is growing interest in the use of probiotic supplementation to prevent or modulate atopic disease. The authors had previously shown that prenatal and postnatal probiotic supplementation with L reuteri reduced both allergic sensitization and prevalence of IgEassociated atopic dermatitis at 2 years of age. This study further demonstrated a general reduction in production of both T helper cells 1 and 2 cytokines in the subjects treated with Lactobacillus, prompting the authors to suggest a possible mechanism for their previous findings. A weaknesses of this study is the failure to correlate allergen and mitogen cytokine responses with probiotic treatment and clinical outcomes in this patient group. In addition, the study cannot account for the variation in size or timing of exposures to eggs, birch, or cat that certainly affects the likelihood of sensitization and peripheral mononuclear cell responsiveness. Various effects on the immune system have been demonstrated after probiotic treatment; this study would seem to add support for the immunomodulating effect of Lactobacillus supplementation in pregnancy and early childhood, although more research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved.