Received 23 October 2007; received in revised form 29 November 2007; accepted 10 December 2007.
Background
Intrauterine sensitization has been suggested to play a role in the development of atopic disease in children, and this has led to current guidelines recommending allergen avoidance during pregnancy.
Objective
To investigate the relevance of allergen-specific IgE in cord blood to sensitization in early infancy and the origin of such IgE.
Methods
Inhalant and food allergen-specific IgE in cord blood was analyzed and compared with specific IgE in infant blood at 6 months of age and in parental blood. Cord blood IgA was measured to detect maternal blood contamination of cord blood.
Results
Allergen-specific IgE, primarily against inhalant allergens, was detected in 14% of cord blood samples. However, corresponding specific IgE was not found in infant blood at 6 months of age. Specific IgE in cord blood completely matched specific IgE in maternal blood with respect to allergen specificity, level of specific IgE, and ratio of total IgE/specific IgE. Finally, there was a correlation between specific IgE and IgA in cord blood.
Conclusion
Allergen-specific IgE in cord blood does not reflect intrauterine sensitization but seems to be the result of transfer of maternal IgE to the fetus.
Danish Pediatric Asthma Center, Department of Pediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
Reprint requests: Klaus Bønnelykke, MD, Danish Pediatric Asthma Center, Department of Pediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Gentofte, Niels Andersens Vej 65, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
The IgE analyses were supported by Phadia ApS. The Copenhagen Study on Asthma in Childhood is funded by research funds: the Pharmacy Foundation of 1991; the Lundbeck Foundation; the Augustinus Foundation; Ronald McDonald House Charities; the Danish Medical Research Council; the Danish Pediatric Asthma Center; Direktør, cand.pharm. K. Gad Andersen og Hustrus Familiefond; Aage Bangs Fond; the Danish Lung Association; Kai Lange og Gunhild Kai Langes Fond; Direktør Ib Henriksens Fond; Gerda og Aage Hensch's Fond; Rosalie Petersens Fond; Hans og Nora Buchards Fond; Dagmar Marshalls Fond; the Foundation of Queen Louise Children's Hospital; the Danish Hospital Foundation for Medical Research, Region of Copenhagen, the Faroe Island, and Greenland; Gangsted Fond; Højmosegård-Legatet; Fonden til Lægevidenskabens Fremme; A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal; and the Danish Ministry of the Interior and Health's Research Center for Environmental Health. The study received support from the following pharmaceutical companies: AstraZeneca, LEOpharma, and Yamanouchi Pharma.
Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: K. Bønnelykke has received travel grants from Phadia ApS. The rest of the authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.
ABSTRACT