Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Epigenetic Regulation of Early Nutrition on Immune System

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics

Abstract

Diet and gut microbiota are considered two of the most important players in regulating immune system development and function in early life. Many of these effects are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. The “nutriepigenomics” studies the interaction of nutrients with genome and describes their effect on human health through epigenetic modifications. Dietary fiber modulates gut microbiota and influences short-chain fatty acid production with a beneficial effect on immune system. An increasing number of evidences on epigenetic mechanisms regulated by nutrients are involved in the development of food allergy. New possible strategies, as the choice of dietary treatment, could regulate the epigenome, influencing food allergy disease course.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 579.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CMA:

Cow’s milk allergy

DCs:

Dendritic cells

EHCF:

Extensively hydrolyzed casein formula

EoE:

Eosinophilic esophagitis

FA:

Food allergy

GWAS:

Genome-wide association study

HDAC:

Histone deacetylase

LGG:

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG

PA:

Peanut allergy

PGE2:

Prostaglandin E2 synthesis

PUFAs:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

SCFAs:

Short-chain fatty acids

Tregs:

Regulatory T cells

TSLP:

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin

References

  • Aitoro R, Simeoli R, Amoroso A, Paparo L, Nocerino R, Pirozzi C, Di Costanzo M, Meli R, De Caro C, Picariello G, Mamone G, Calignano A, Nagler CR, Berni Canani R (2016) Extensively hydrolyzed casein formula alone or with L. rhamnosus GG reduces β-lactoglobulin sensitization in mice. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. https://doi.org/10.1111/pai.12687

  • Arrieta MC, Stiemsma LT, Dimitriu PA, Thorson L, Russell S, Yurist-Doutsch S, Kuzeljevic B, Gold MJ, Britton HM, Lefebvre DL, Subbarao P, Mandhane P, Becker A, McNagny KM, Sears MR, Kollmann T, Study Investigators CHILD, Mohn WW, Turvey SE, Finlay BB (2015) Early infancy microbial and metabolic alterations affect risk of childhood asthma. Sci Transl Med 30:307ra152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berni Canani R, Costanzo MD, Leone L, Bedogni G, Brambilla P, Cianfarani S, Nobili V, Pietrobelli A, Agostoni C (2011) Epigenetic mechanisms elicited by nutrition in early life. Nutr Res Rev 24:198–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berni Canani R, Paparo L, Nocerino R, Cosenza L, Pezzella V, Di Costanzo M, Capasso M, Del Monaco V, D’Argenio V, Greco L, Salvatore F (2015) Differences in DNA methylation profile of Th1 and Th2 cytokine genes are associated with tolerance acquisition in children with IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy. Clin Epigenetics 7:38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berni Canani R, Sangwan N, Stefka AT, Nocerino R, Paparo L, Aitoro R, Calignano A, Khan AA, Gilbert JA, Nagler CR (2016a) Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG supplemented formula expands butyrate-producing bacterial strains in food allergic infants. ISME J 10:742–750

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berni Canani R, Di Costanzo M, Bedogni G, Amoroso A, Cosenza L, Di Scala C, Granata V, Nocerino R (2016b) Extensively hydrolysed casein formula containing L. rhamnosus GG reduces the occurrence of other allergic manifestations in children with cow’s milk allergy: 3-year randomized controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2016.10.050

  • Cutfield WS, Hofman PL, Mitchell M, Morison IM (2007) Could epigenetics play a role in the developmental origins of health and disease? Pediatr Res 61(5 Pt 2):68R–75R

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D’Argenio V, Del Monaco V, Paparo L, De Palma, Rita Nocerino FED, Salvatore F, Berni Canani R (2017) miRNome analysis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from children affected by cow’s milk allergy. Allergy (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  • De Filippo C, Cavalieri D, Di Paola M, Ramazzotti M, Poullet JB, Massart S, Collini S, Pieraccini G, Lionetti P (2010) Impact of diet in shaping gut microbiota revealed by a comparative study in children from Europe and rural Africa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:14691–14696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho SM (2010) Environmental epigenetics of asthma: an update. J Allergy Clin Immunol 126:453–465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong X, Hao K, Ladd-Acosta C, Hansen KD, Tsai HJ, Liu X, Xu X, Thornton TA, Caruso D, Keet CA, Sun Y, Wang G, Luo W, Kumar R, Fuleihan R, Singh AM, Kim JS, Story RE, Gupta RS, Gao P, Chen Z, Walker SO et al (2015) Genome-wide association study identifies peanut allergy-specific loci and evidence of epigenetic mediation in US children. Nat Commun 6:6304

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hong X, Ladd-Acosta C, Hao K, Sherwood B, Ji H, Keet CA, Kumar R, Caruso D, Liu X, Wang G, Chen Z, Ji Y, Mao G, Walker SO, Bartell TR, Ji Z, Sun Y, Tsai HJ, Pongracic JA, Weeks DE, Wang X (2016) Epigenome-wide association study links site-specific DNA methylation changes with cow’s milk allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 138:908–911

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Junge KM, Bauer T, Geissler S, Hirche F, Thürmann L, Bauer M, Trump S, Bieg M, Weichenhan D, Gu L, Mallm JP, Ishaque N, Mücke O, Röder S, Herberth G, Diez U, Borte M, Rippe K, Plass C, Hermann C, Stangl GI, Eils R, Lehmann I (2016) Increased vitamin D levels at birth and in early infancy increase offspring allergy risk-evidence for involvement of epigenetic mechanisms. J Allergy Clin Immunol 137:610–613

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krug N, Hohlfeld JM, Kirsten AM et al (2015) Allergen-induced asthmatic responses modified by a GATA3-specific DNAzyme. N Engl J Med 372:1987–1995

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lack G (2012) Update on risk factors for food allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 129:1187–1197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee HS, Barraza-Villarreal A, Hernandez-Vargas H, Sly PD, Biessy C, Ramakrishnan U, Romieu I, Herceg Z (2013) Modulation of DNA methylation states and infant immune system by dietary supplementation with ω-3 PUFA during pregnancy in an intervention study. Am J Clin Nutr 98:480–487

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lluis A, Depner M, Gaugler B, Saas P, Casaca VI, Raedler D, Michel S, Tost J, Liu J, Genuneit J, Pfefferle P, Roponen M, Weber J, Braun-Fahrländer C, Riedler J, Lauener R, Vuitton DA, Dalphin JC, Pekkanen J, von Mutius E, Schaub B (2014) Protection Against Allergy: Study in Rural Environments Study Group. Increased regulatory T cell numbers are associated with farm milk exposure and lower atopic sensitization and asthma in childhood. J Allergy Clin Immunol 133:551–559

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu TX, Rothenberg ME (2013) Diagnostic, functional, and therapeutic roles of microRNA in allergic diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol 132:3–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu LF, Boldin MP, Chaudhry A, Lin LL, Taganov KD, Hanada T, Yoshimura A, Baltimore D, Rudensky AY (2010) Function of miR-146a in controlling Treg cell-mediated regulation of Th1 responses. Cell 142:914–929

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu TX, Sherrill JD, Wen T, Plassard AJ, Besse JA, Abonia JP, Franciosi JP, Putnam PE, Eby M, Martin LJ, Aronow BJ, Rothenberg ME (2012) MicroRNA signature in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, reversibility with glucocorticoids, and assessment as disease biomarkers. J Allergy Clin Immunol 129:1064–1075

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martino DJ, Bosco A, McKenna KL, Hollams E, Mok D, Holt PG, Prescott SL (2012) T-cell activation genes differentially expressed at birth in CD4+ T-cells from children who develop IgE food allergy. Allergy 67:191–200

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martino D, Dang T, Sexton-Oates A, Prescott S, Tang ML, Dharmage S, Gurrin L, Koplin J, Ponsonby AL, Allen KJ, Saffery R (2015) Blood DNA methylation biomarkers predict clinical reactivity in food-sensitized infants. J Allergy Clin Immunol 135:1319-28.e1–1319-28.e12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKay JA, Mathers J (2011) Diet induced epigenetic changes and their implications for health. Acta Physiol 202:103–118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Melnik BC, John SM, Schmitz G (2014) Milk: an exosomal microRNA transmitter promoting thymic regulatory T cell maturation preventing the development of atopy. J Transl Med 12:43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miles EA, Calder PC (2015) Maternal diet and its influence on the development of allergic disease. Clin Exp Allergy 45:63–74

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Okoye IS, Czieso S, Ktistaki E, Roderick K, Coomes SM, Pelly VS, Kannan Y, Perez-Lloret J, Zhao JL, Baltimore D, Langhorne J, Wilson MS (2014) Transcriptomics identified a critical role for Th2 cell-intrinsic miR-155 in mediating allergy and antihelminth immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111:E3081–E3090

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paparo L, di Costanzo M, Di Scala C, Cosenza L, Leone L, Nocerino R, Berni Canani R (2014) The influence of early life nutrition on epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of the immune system. Forum Nutr 6:4706–4719

    Google Scholar 

  • Paparo L, Nocerino R, Cosenza L, Aitoro R, D’Argenio V, Del Monaco V, Di Scala C, Amoroso A, Di Costanzo M, Salvatore F, Berni Canani R (2016) Epigenetic features of FoxP3 in children with cow’s milk allergy. Clin Epigenetics 8:86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pauley KM, Cha S, Chan EK (2009) MicroRNA in autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases. J Autoimmun 32:189–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrus NC, Henneman P, Venema A, Mul A, van Sinderen F, Haagmans M, Mook O, Hennekam RC, Sprikkelman AB, Mannens M (2016) Cow’s milk allergy in Dutch children: an epigenetic pilot survey. Clin Transl Allergy 6:16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potaczek DP, Garn H, Unger SD, Renz H (2016) Antisense molecules: a new class of drugs. J Allergy Clin Immunol 137:1334–1346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prescott SL, Pawankar R, Allen KJ, Campbell DE, Sinn JKH, Fiocchi A, Ebisawa M, Sampson HA, Beyer K, Lee BW (2013) A global survey of changing patterns of food allergy burden in children. World Allergy Organ J 6:21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramesh S (2008) Food allergy overview in children. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 34:217–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remely M, Lovrecic L, de la Garza AL, Migliore L, Peterlin B, Milagro FI, Martinez AJ, Haslberger AG (2015a) Therapeutic perspectives of epigenetically active nutrients. Br J Pharmacol 172:2756–2768

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Remely M, Stefanska B, Lovrecic L, Magnet U, Haslberger AG (2015b) Nutriepigenomics: the role of nutrition in epigenetic control of human diseases. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 18:328–333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson JH, Delvig AA (2002) Diversity in MHC class II antigen presentation. Immunology 105:252–262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schaub B, Liu J, Höppler S, Schleich I, Huehn J, Olek S, Wieczorek G, Illi S, von Mutius E (2009) Maternal farm exposure modulates neonatal immune mechanisms through regulatory T cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol 123:774–782

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith PM, Howitt MR, Panikov N, Michaud M, Gallini CA, Bohlooly-Y M, Glickman JN, Garrett WS.The microbial metabolites, short-chain fatty acids, regulate colonic Treg cell homeostasis. Science 2013; 341: 569–573.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song Y, Liu C, Hui Y, Srivastava K, Zhou Z, Chen J, Miller RL, Finkelman FD, Li XM (2014) Maternal allergy increases susceptibility to offspring allergy in association with TH2-biased epigenetic alterations in a mouse model of peanut allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 134:1339–1345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tammen SA, Friso S, Choi SW (2013) Epigenetics: the link between nature and nurture. Mol Asp Med 34:753–764

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tao R, de Zoeten EF, Ozkaynak E, Chen C, Wang L, Porrett PM, Li B, Turka LA, Olson EN, Greene MI, Wells AD, Hancock WW (2007) Deacetylase inhibition promotes the generation and function of regulatory T cells. Nat Med 13:1299–1307

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Trompette A, Gollwitzer ES, Yadava K, Sichelstiel AK, Sprenger N, Ngom-Bru C, Blanchard C, Junt T, Nicod LP, Harris NL, Marsland BJ (2014) Gut microbiota metabolism of dietary fiber influences allergic airway disease and hematopoiesis. Nat Med 20:159–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zech A, Ayata CK, Pankratz F, Meyer A, Baudiß K, Cicko S, Yegutkin GG, Grundmann S, Idzko M (2015) MicroRNA-155 modulates P2R signaling and Th2 priming of dendritic cells during allergic airway inflammation in mice. Allergy 70(9):1121–1129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeisel SH (2009) Epigenetic mechanisms for nutrition determinants of later health outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr 89:1488S–1493S

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zittermann A, Tenderich G, Koerfer R (2009) Vitamin D and the adaptive immune system with special emphasis to allergic reactions and allograft rejection. Inflamm Allergy Drug Targets 8:161–168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Translational Medical Science, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    Lorella Paparo, Rosita Aitoro, Rita Nocerino, Carmen di Scala, Margherita Di Costanzo, Linda Cosenza, Viviana Granata & Roberto Berni Canani

  2. European Laboratory for the Investigation of Food Induced Diseases (ELFID), University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    Roberto Berni Canani

  3. CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy

    Roberto Berni Canani

Authors
  1. Lorella Paparo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rosita Aitoro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rita Nocerino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carmen di Scala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Margherita Di Costanzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Linda Cosenza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Viviana Granata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Roberto Berni Canani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberto Berni Canani .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Research Division, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Paparo, L. et al. (2019). Epigenetic Regulation of Early Nutrition on Immune System. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Nutrition, Diet, and Epigenetics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55530-0_54

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55530-0_54

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-55529-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-55530-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation