G. Lilja et al., INFLUENCE OF MATERNAL INFECTIONS WITH VIRAL AGENTS OR TOXOPLASMA-GONDII DURING PREGNANCY ON FETAL IGE PRODUCTION, Allergy, 52(10), 1997, pp. 978-984
The importance of maternal infections with Toxoplasma gondii, cytomega
lovirus (CMV), Parvovirus B19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and
influenza A and B on fetal IgE synthesis was studied in 153 pregnant w
omen. No case of specific IgM activity or viral DNA in cord blood, ind
icating a congenital infection, was found. From gestational week 15 to
delivery, maternal IgG-Ab seroconversion to Parvovirus B19, RSV, infl
uenza A, or influenza B occurred in 47 women. At delivery, serologic s
igns of past infection with T. gondii were observed in 29 (19%) women,
and the corresponding figure for CMV was 117 (77%). The number of wom
en with positive IgG seroconversion during pregnancy or positive IgG-A
b activity toward the studied infectious agents at delivery did not di
ffer significantly among infants with an increased (11.3 kU/l; n=51) o
r with an undetectable (<0.1 kU/l; n=102) cord-blood IgE level. These
results show that genetic send other environmental factors probably ha
ve a greater influence on fetal IgE synthesis than do maternal infecti
ons during pregnancy.