Introduction
Health and wellness are closely tied to microbiota, a large number of bifid bacteria in several regions of the body. The gut microbiome, with its complex relationship with the immune system and potential effect on respiratory function, has been a very contentious area of research published (Azad et al., 2018). The lens has already been installed on the gut-lung connector and respiratory infections (Budden et al., 2019; Dumas et al., 2021). If we aim to change this axis and arm the immune system against respiratory infections, probiotics and living microorganisms that promote health when consumed in sufficient numbers are the candidates. (Azad et al., 2018
Immunomodulation with probiotics
Researchers worldwide now have numerous reports that have tried to explain the immune system-regulating process of probiotics. Azad et al. (2018) state that probiotics provoke phagocytic activity, NK cell cytotoxicity, and antiviral cytokines in the innate immune system. Microbes may strengthen adaptive immune protection with an enhanced level of IgA and differentiation of T-cells (Azad et al., 2018). Probiotics might be helpful for resistance against viruses in the respiratory system because of their immunomodulatory properties.
Gut-Lung-Respiratory Health
The gut lung corresponds to the microbiota present in the digestive system and is the primary mediator. As a result of research conducted by Budden et al. (2019), this communication pathway transferring microbial metabolites such as short-chained fatty acids (SCFAs) from the gut to the lungs, where it takes part in immunological responses and influences viral vulnerability, is established. Disrupted gut microbiota, found in respiratory diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, are linked to Dysbiosis, according to (Dumas et al., 2021).
Respiratory Infections and Probiotics
Studies of the clinical nature come into question, some of which are to determine whether probiotic consumption reduces the incidence of respiratory infection. In an RCT of the top elite rugby union athletes, Haywood et al. (2014) indicated that probiotic supplements will at least halve the problem of URTI compared to the placebo. The subjects who took probiotics had fewer URTI occurrences and felt sickness less often than those in the placebo group, thus suggesting that probiotics might promote respiratory wellness (Haywood et al., 2015). Strains of microorganisms, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, are known to treat and prevent infections of viral type from different populations, according to Dumas et al. ( 2021). They look at the most recent research that directs the gut-lung axis and respiratory infections, highlighting the possible role of probiotic therapy in altering it (Dumas et al., 2021). At the end of 2021, Li et al. focused on the gut microbiota’s role in interaction with SARS-CoV-2, which is the global disease of COVID-19. COVID-19 patients experience gut microbiome dysbiosis, with both Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species disappearing, bringing down their number and species diversity. Probiotics might boost the clinical results of COVID-19 and respiratory viral infection by re-establishing the queer microbiota (Li et al., 2021)
Study Design Proposed
This leads the authors to plan the prospective, randomized, double-masked, and placebo-controlled clinical trial to check whether a probiotic supplement can reduce the occurrence and severity of URTIs in seniors. Consequently, since older adults’ immunity is lowered and they seem to succumb more easily to respiratory tract pathogens (Azad et al., 2018; Dumas, 2021), older adults are more exposed to the risk of respiratory infections. A trial registration process will divide seniors 65 years and above into probiotics and placebo groups. The group of probiotics received two types of bacteria: one was Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), and the other one was Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. Probiotic strains with established immunomodulatory and respiratory health effects, namely lactic BB-12, would be the bioactive ingredients to be added to the daily diet. Haywood and others (2014) suggest using the daily sickness logs and validated symptom severity ratings to accurately record URTI episodes and their impact without doubt. In addition, fecal and nasal swabs will be collected at various time points to establish gut and airway microbiota composition and metabolite profiles. The results of these studies will focus on how probiotic strains are connected with the gut-lung axis and respiratory virus immune responses, which is in line with the findings of Budden et al. (2019) and Dumas et al. (2021). A virus score and nucleic acid amounts will be measured during URTI episodes. According to the above review paper of Azad et al. (2018) and the book chapter of Dumas et al. (2021), antibody titers and T-cell responses will be measured as parameters to study the impact of probiotics on adaptive immunity against respiratory pathogens. The proposed project addresses the research question: Whether or not LGG and BB-12 probiotics are used, can they modulate gut-lung axis and immune defenses to reduce the rate of upper respiratory tract infections in elderly populations?
Meaning and Effects
The research will influence a treatment strategy for elderly viral infections of the breathing systems. This job may help designers invent new ways for respiratory health care by studying how probiotic consumption upgrades the gut lung’s axis and enhances the human body’s immune system. We hope that our data could be used in studying targeted probiotics whose purpose is to prevent URTIs in the elderly, who generally have an increased risk of respiratory infection and its harmful effects. The finding can also provide a bridge for researchers looking into the gut-lung axis and immunity to understand the respiratory system, which may be grounds for future research. Using a multi-faceted approach (including clinical outcomes, immunology analysis, and microbiome profiling) will provide a vast amount of information that will be used to better inform the hubs between probiotics, gut microbiome, immune system, and respiratory health.
To sum up, it wins over the fact that recent investigations on the microbiota and the immune system in respiratory viral diseases gave us impetus to use probiotic therapy for such diseases. An intake of a probiotic supplement containing live species LGG and BB-12 could decrease the occurrence and severity level of URTI among the elderly if our study design holds out. The study seeks to identify the actual targeted effects of probiotics on the gut–lung axis in respiratory health, synthesize bacterial outcomes, conduct immunological investigations, and characterize the microbiome. This study can potentially improve the lives of the elderly suffering respiratory viral infections by reducing healthcare costs for treatment and preventive measures. Similar outcomes, in such cases, may bolster the research on the gut-lung axis and immunology of the respiratory system, where a new branch study can be developed later.
References
Azad, M., Sarker, M., & Wan, D. (2018). Probiotics and the Gut Immune System: Indirect Regulation. Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins, 10(1), 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-017-9322-6
Budden, K. F., Shukla, S. D., Rehman, S. F., Bowerman, K. L., Keely, S., Hugenholtz, P., … & Hansbro, P. M. (2019). The influence of the microbiome on respiratory health. Nature Immunology, 20(10), 1279-1290. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-019-0451-9
Dumas, A., Bernard, L., Poquet, Y., Lugo-Villarino, G., & Neyrolles, O. (2021). The microbiota and respiratory infections: new insights from the gut-lung axis. EBioMedicine, 63, 103188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103188
Haywood, B. A., Black, K. E., Baker, D., McGarvey, J., Healey, P., & Brown, R. C. (2014). Probiotic supplementation reduces the duration and incidence of infections but not the severity in elite rugby union players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 17(4), 356–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2013.08.004
Li, N., Ma, W. T., Pang, M., Fan, Q. L., & Hua, J. L. (2021). The role of the microbiome in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 11, 667487. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.667487
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