ABSTRACT
The normal ontogeny of the immune responses to allergens depends on appropriate antigenic stimulation early in life. Microbes in our environment, particularly the gut microflora, play a pivotal role in this process and may thus affect the development of allergic asthma. Furthermore, infections may serve as both causative and protective factors with regard to the development of asthma, depending on the circumstances and type of asthma, i.e., atopic and nonatopic asthma. The fact that host-microbe interactions apparently are important for the development of asthma has raised interest in the potential influence of antibiotics in this process. In this chapter, the possible role of antibiotics early in life as risk factors for the development of asthma and other allergic diseases will be discussed. The use of antibiotics in the treatment of asthma lies beyond the scope of the review.
