The gut microbiota is associated with the small intestinal paracellular permeability and the development of the immune system in healthy children during the first two years of life

The intestinal barrier plays an important role in the defense against infections, and nutritional, endocrine, and immune functions. The gut microbiota playing an important role in development of the gastrointestinal tract can impact intestinal permeability and immunity during early life, but data concerning this problem are scarce.We analyzed the microbiota in fecal samples (101 samples in total) collected longitudinally over 24 months from 21...