Volume 121, Issue 3 , Pages 646-651, March 2008
Sensitization does not develop in utero
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.
Key words: Sensitization, cord blood, infant, intrauterine, atopy
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.
PII: S0091-6749(07)03576-2
doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2007.12.1149
© 2008 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Volume 121, Issue 3 , Pages 646-651, March 2008
