['The microbiota controls a variety of biological functions, including immunity, and alterations of the microbiota in early life are associated with a higher risk of developing allergies later in life. Several probiotic bacteria, and particularly lactic acid bacteria, were described to reduce both the induction of allergic responses and allergic manifestations. Although specific probiotic strains were used in these studies, their protective effects on allergic responses also might be common for all lactobacilli.', 'To determine whether allergic effector cells inhibition is a common feature of lactobacilli or whether it varies among lactobacilli strains, we compared the ability of 40 strains of the same Lactobacillus paracasei species to inhibit IgE-dependent mouse mast cell and human basophil activation.', 'We uncovered a marked heterogeneity in the inhibitory properties of the 40 Lactobacillus strains tested. These segregated into three to four clusters depending on the intensity of inhibition. Some strains inhibited both mouse mast cell and human basophil activation, others strains inhibited only one cell type and another group induced no inhibition of activation for either cell type.'] Do individual strains of Lactobacillus paracasei differentially inhibit human basophil and mouse mast cell activation?