IGG SUBCLASSES IN CHILDREN WITH RECURRENT RESPIRATORY-TRACT INFECTIONS IN AN ALLERGY PRACTICE

Isolated or combined deficiencies of immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses have been recognized in children with recurrent infections. In our al lergy practice, there are a subset of children with recurrent respirat ory tract infections. To investigate the presence of immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency (IgGSD), 60 children with atopy and 14 children wi thout atopy suffering from recurrent respiratory tract infections were studied in an attempt to determine whether atopy is associated with a certain IgG subclass pattern. Ten atopic children were found to have isolated or combined IgG subclass deficiencies: one with IgG1, two wit h IgG2, four with IgG3 and three children had IgG2-IgG3. Neither IgG s ubclass concentration nor the frequency of children with high or low I gG subclasses showed any difference between atopic and non-atopic grou ps. Except for a week correlation with IgG3, no correlation existed be tween IgE and other IgG subclasses. It was concluded that childhood re spiratory diseases complicated by recurrent respiratory tract infectio ns may be associated with IgG subclass deficiencies. Although there ha ve been reports noting some IgG subclass patterns in atopic disorders, in the present study, no distinctive feature atopics with respect to IgG subclass concentrations and patterns was observed.