Systematic review of the association between short-chain fatty acids and allergic diseases

Abstract

We performed a systematic review to investigate the current evidence on the association between allergic diseases and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are microbially produced and suggested as one mechanism on how gut microbiome affects the risk of allergic diseases. Medline, Embase and Web of Science were searched from data inception until September 2022. We identified 37 papers, of which 17 investigated prenatal or early childhood SCFAs and the development of allergic diseases in childhood, and 20 assessed SCFAs in patients with pre-existing allergic diseases. Study design, study populations, outcome definition, analysis method and reporting of the results varied between papers. Overall, there was some evidence showing that the three main SCFAs (acetate, propionate and butyrate) in the first few years of life had a protective effect against allergic diseases, especially for atopic dermatitis, wheeze or asthma and IgE-mediated food allergy in childhood. The association between each SCFA and allergic disease appeared to be different by disease and the age of assessment. Further research that can determine the potentially timing specific effect of each SCFA will be useful to investigate how SCFAs can be used in treatment or in prevention against allergic diseases.