The prevalence of allergy is increasing and it is becoming a serious problem not on- ly in medicine, but also in social and economic terms. The most effective way to minimize the development of allergic diseases is preventive measures. In recent years, many studies have attempted to confirm or rebut the hypothesis that early administration of probiotic bacteria to newborns and pregnant women before birth could have preventive effects on the development of allergy. In the Czech Republic, the probiotic strain Escherichia coli O83:K24:H31 (EC O83), being registered with the State Health Institute for Drug Control under the name Colinfant Newborn, has long been used to prevent allergies and paediatri- cians have long been known and used it against various diarrhoea. The aim of this work was to elucidate the effect of EC O83 on CBMC (cord blood mononuclear cells) and to compare the ability of CBMC of healthy mothers (children with a relatively low risk of developing allergic disease) and allergic mothers (children at high risk of developing allergies) to form cytokines in response to EC O83 stimulation. Phytohemagglutinin was used as a positive control, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 was used as a reference probiotic strain, which is much more known abroad than EC O83. Cytokine production was detected by...

(EN) Reduced microbial stimulation of an immature neonatal immune system can lead to a poor balance adjustment of immune responses, thus contributing to the development of allergic diseases, whose incidence continues to rise. One of the promising precautionary measures seems to be an early preventive administration of probiotic bacteria to pregnant or nursing mothers, or to newborns. Previous works have described a beneficial effect of Escherichia coli O83:K24:H31 (E. coli O83) in the prevention of allergic diseases. In order to contribute to the clarification of E. coli O83 effects on the neonatal immune system, its immune- modulating properties were tested in vitro on umbilical cord blood cells. The ability of E. coli O83 to support the maturation of in vitro-derived dendritic cells from cord blood precursors (moDCs) of the children of healthy (children with a relatively low risk of allergy) and allergic (children at a relatively high risk of developing allergies) mothers was tracked by flow cytometry, qPCR and ELISA. Probiotic bacteria-stimulated moDCs were subsequently cultured with autologous naive CD4+ T lymphocytes and immune response polarization was also characterised by flow cytometry, qPCR, and ELISA. It was evident from the results that E. coli O83 promoted moDCs maturation. The presence of...

Food-related diseases, including food allergies and food intolerances, are on the rise worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), allergic diseases in the economically advanced countries of the WHO have become the largest child environmental epidemic. Dysregulation of immune tolerance is the basic mechanism involved in the development of food allergy. It is believed that the risk of developing allergies is more related to other lifestyle factors such as a diet, physical activity or obesity. Food allergies in children and adult populations vary both in the spectrum of triggering foods and also their symptoms and their severity. The prognosis also differs in allergies for different types of foods. One of the most important factors affecting the correct development of the baby's immune system is nutrition. In the first 4 - 6 months, the baby should only receive breast milk - for infants it is the most appropriate and allergenically safe diet. It strengthens their immune system. Its positive effect is observed especially on the occurrence of food allergies and atopic eczema. However, developing asthma and other allergies may not be prevented. Breastfeeding has an extraordinary importance and benefits in preventing many illnesses for both the child and the mother. Milk is a major food...

This diploma thesis deals with the evaluation of clinical manifestations in infants with allergic colitis and their overall nutritional status, anthropometry, blood count and antibodies against cow's milk proteins. Allergic colitis is one of the most common manifestations of infant allergy to cow`s milk protein with gastrointestinal involvement. The theoretical part summarizes the anthropometric evaluation of growth and development, infant nutrition, the most important laboratory indicators of nutritional status. The part is generally devoted to food allergies, mainly allergy to cow's milk protein. The practical part deals with the evaluation of a sample of examined patients in gastroenterology outpatient clinics and nutritional outpatient clinic of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Hospital in Prague. The observed group of infants with allergic colitis includes infants exclusively breastfed, breastfed by a mother following a non-dairy diet, infants on an extensive hydrolyzate or on an amino acid formula. The main goal of the diploma thesis was to trace the most common clinical manifestations and whether there are any changes in their nutritional status during the disease and its treatment. A total of 45 randomly...

Allergy is one of the most common diseases. Identification of early prognostic markers pointing to an increased risk of allergy development is therefore of increasing importance. Cord blood represents an easily attainable clinical material for searching for prognostic markers signalizing future allergy development. Proportions of Th1 cytokines, Th2 cytokines and regulatory cytokines were tested in cord blood of children of allergic mothers (children in relatively high risk of allergy development) in comparison with cord blood of children of healthy mothers (low risk children). Also the activities of lymphocytes, dendritic cells (DC) and regulatory cells (Tregs) were compared in children of healthy and allergic mothers. The generally increased activity of both in vitro stimulated and non-stimulated mononuclear cord blood leukocytes was proved in children of allergic mothers in comparison with low risk children. The increased activity of DC of high risk children was detectable only after polyclonal stimulation. Significantly less pronounced functional properties of cord blood Tregs were found in children of allergic mothers when compared with children of healthy mothers. The increased reactivity of lymphocytes and DC together with the decreased activity of Tregs can support an easier...

The aim of this diploma thesis was to assess the current knowledge of the pupils of 8th and 9th grades of primary schools about selected chronical non-infectious diseases (known as civilisation diseases). The pupils of rural and urban types of primary schools have taken part in the questionnaire survey. The theoretical part is focused on the characteristics of selected diseases, their causes and prevention. In the practical part, the results of the survey are processed and evaluated.