{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T04:31:23Z","timestamp":1791952283916,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Microbiology Society","issue":"12","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,12,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Giardiasis, caused by the protozoan <jats:italic>Giardia intestinalis<\/jats:italic>, is one of the most common intestinal diseases worldwide and constitutes an important problem for the public health systems of various countries. Kefir is a probiotic drink obtained by fermenting milk with \u2018kefir grains\u2019, which consist mainly of bacteria and yeasts that coexist in a complex symbiotic association. In this work, we studied the ability of kefir to protect mice from <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic> infection, and characterized the host immune response to this probiotic in the context of the intestinal infection. Six- to 8-week-old C75BL\/6 mice were separated into four groups: controls, kefir mice (receiving 1\u200a:\u200a100 dilution of kefir in drinking water for 14 days), <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic> mice (infected orally with 4\u00d710<jats:sup>7<\/jats:sup> trophozoites of <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic> at day 7) and <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic>\u2013kefir mice (kefir-treated <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic>-infected mice), and killed at 2 or 7 days post-infection. Kefir administration was able to significantly reduce the intensity of <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic> infection at 7 days post-infection. An increase in the percentage of CD4<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T cells at 2 days post-infection was observed in the Peyer\u2019s patches (PP) of mice belonging to the <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic> group compared with the control and kefir groups, while the percentage of CD4<jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup> T cells in PP in the <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic>\u2013kefir group was similar to that of controls. At 2 days post-infection, a reduction in the percentage of B220-positive major histocompatibility complex class II medium cells in PP was observed in infected mice compared with the other groups. At 7 days post-infection, <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic>-infected mice showed a reduction in RcFc\u03f5-positive cells compared with the control group, suggesting a downregulation of the inflammatory response. However, the percentages of RcFc\u03f5-positive cells did not differ from controls in the kefir and <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic>\u2013kefir groups. An increase in IgA-positive cells was observed in the lamina propria of the kefir group compared with controls at 2 days post-infection. Interestingly, the diminished number of IgA-positive cells registered in the <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic> group at 7 days post-infection was restored by kefir feeding, although the increase in IgA-positive cells was no longer observed in the kefir group at that time. No significant differences in CXCL10 expression were registered between groups, in concordance with the absence of inflammation in small-intestinal tissue. Interestingly, a slight reduction in CCL20 expression was observed in the <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic> group, suggesting that <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic> might downregulate its expression as a way of evading the inflammatory immune response. On the other hand, a trend towards an increase in TNF-\u03b1 expression was observed in the kefir group, while the <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic>\u2013kefir group showed a significant increase in TNF-\u03b1 expression. Moreover, kefir-receiving mice (kefir and <jats:italic>Giardia<\/jats:italic>\u2013kefir groups) showed an increase in the expression of IFN-\u03b3, the most relevant Th1 cytokine, at 2 days post-infection. Our results demonstrate that feeding mice with kefir reduces <jats:italic>G. intestinalis<\/jats:italic> infection and promotes the activation of different mechanisms of humoral and cellular immunity that are downregulated by parasitic infection, thus contributing to protection.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1099\/jmm.0.068064-0","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,9,27]],"date-time":"2013-09-27T04:24:28Z","timestamp":1380255868000},"page":"1815-1822","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":47,"title":["Administration of kefir-fermented milk protects mice against Giardia intestinalis infection"],"prefix":"10.1099","volume":"62","author":[{"given":"Mariana Correa","family":"Franco","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"C\u00e1tedra de Microbiolog\u00eda, Departamento de Ciencias Biol\u00f3gicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 47 y 115, La Plata, Argentina"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo en Criotecnolog\u00eda de Alimentos (CIDCA), CCT La Plata \u2013 CONICET, 47 y 116, La Plata, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marina A.","family":"Golowczyc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo en Criotecnolog\u00eda de Alimentos (CIDCA), CCT La Plata \u2013 CONICET, 47 y 116, La Plata, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Graciela L.","family":"De Antoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"C\u00e1tedra de Microbiolog\u00eda, Departamento de Ciencias Biol\u00f3gicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 47 y 115, La Plata, Argentina"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo en Criotecnolog\u00eda de Alimentos (CIDCA), CCT La Plata \u2013 CONICET, 47 y 116, La Plata, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pablo F.","family":"P\u00e9rez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"C\u00e1tedra de Microbiolog\u00eda, Departamento de Ciencias Biol\u00f3gicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 47 y 115, La Plata, Argentina"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo en Criotecnolog\u00eda de Alimentos (CIDCA), CCT La Plata \u2013 CONICET, 47 y 116, La Plata, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mart\u00edn","family":"Humen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo en Criotecnolog\u00eda de Alimentos (CIDCA), CCT La Plata \u2013 CONICET, 47 y 116, La Plata, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda de los Angeles","family":"Serradell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"C\u00e1tedra de Microbiolog\u00eda, Departamento de Ciencias Biol\u00f3gicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 47 y 115, La Plata, Argentina"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"345","reference":[{"key":"r1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1138","DOI":"10.4315\/0362-028X-73.6.1138","article-title":"Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts on salad products irrigated with contaminated water","volume":"73","author":"Amor\u00f3s","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Food Prot"},{"key":"r2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2005.03.044"},{"key":"r3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1171","DOI":"10.1093\/jn\/135.5.1171","article-title":"Enterococcus faecium SF68 enhances the immune response to Giardia intestinalis in mice","volume":"135","author":"Benyacoub","year":"2005","journal-title":"J Nutr"},{"key":"r4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00365540600561769"},{"key":"r5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1021\/np980467b"},{"key":"r6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2011.05.002"},{"key":"r7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.2006-079"},{"key":"r8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000107196"},{"key":"r9","article-title":"Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food. Report of a Joint FAO\/WHO Working Group on Drafting Guidelines for the Evaluation of Probiotics in Food","year":"2002"},{"key":"r10","first-page":"1","article-title":"Kefir \u2013 a complex probiotic","volume":"2","author":"Farnworth","year":"2005","journal-title":"Food Sci Technol Bull"},{"key":"r11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.13.1.35-54.2000"},{"key":"r12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/CVI.13.2.219-226.2006"},{"key":"r13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.14.1.114-128.2001"},{"key":"r14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0022029901005210"},{"key":"r15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10620-012-2503-y"},{"key":"r16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2011\/795219"},{"key":"r17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11274-013-1268-6"},{"key":"r18","first-page":"129","article-title":"Giardiasis: pathophysiology and management","volume":"8","author":"Hawrelak","year":"2003","journal-title":"Altern Med Rev"},{"key":"r19","volume-title":"Interacci\u00f3n de Giardia intestinalis con el hospedador efecto antag\u00f3nico de probi\u00f3ticos intestinales","author":"Humen","year":"2009"},{"key":"r20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.73.2.1265-1269.2005"},{"key":"r21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.yexcr.2010.12.018"},{"key":"r22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.70.1.11-18.2002"},{"key":"r23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.imbio.2007.05.004"},{"key":"r24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.72.11.6642-6649.2004"},{"key":"r25","first-page":"121","article-title":"CXCL10\/IP-10 in infectious diseases pathogenesis and potential therapeutic implications","volume":"22","author":"Liu","year":"2011","journal-title":"Cytokine Growth Factor Rev"},{"key":"r26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1130-1406(06)70016-X"},{"key":"r27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2478\/v10042-009-0013-3"},{"key":"r28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1021\/jf1049968"},{"key":"r29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.micinf.2013.06.010"},{"key":"r30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.73.12.8204-8208.2005"},{"key":"r31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2004.04.018"},{"key":"r32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.idairyj.2007.01.014"},{"key":"r33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1139\/W10-110"},{"key":"r34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10620-007-0197-3"},{"key":"r35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/IAI.68.1.170-175.2000"},{"key":"r36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000333562"},{"key":"r37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1248\/bpb.b12-00709"},{"key":"r38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"807","DOI":"10.1093\/jn\/131.3.807","article-title":"Kefir milk enhances intestinal immunity in young but not old rats","volume":"131","author":"Thoreux","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Nutr"},{"key":"r39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2011\/610769"},{"key":"r40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0022029905000828"},{"key":"r41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S002202990600197X"},{"key":"r42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2172-8-19"},{"key":"r43","first-page":"223","article-title":"Gut mucosal immunostimulation by lactic acid bacteria","volume":"24","author":"Viti\u00f1i","year":"2000","journal-title":"Biocell"},{"key":"r44","article-title":"Informal consultation on intestinal protozoal infections","year":"1992"}],"container-title":["Journal of Medical Microbiology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.microbiologyresearch.org\/content\/journal\/jmm\/10.1099\/jmm.0.068064-0?crawler=true","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,2]],"date-time":"2020-10-02T03:15:16Z","timestamp":1601608516000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.microbiologyresearch.org\/content\/journal\/jmm\/10.1099\/jmm.0.068064-0"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2013,12,1]]},"references-count":44,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,12,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1099\/jmm.0.068064-0","relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-2615","1473-5644"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-2615","type":"print"},{"value":"1473-5644","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2013,12,1]]}}}