PARENTAL HISTORY OF ATOPIC DISEASE AND CONCENTRATION OF CORD-BLOOD IGE

Background A family history of atopy, and cord blood immunoglobulin E concentration, have been shown to be predictors of atopic disease in c hildren. Several studies have suggested that parental atopy may be rel ated to newborn immunoglobulin E. Objective The purpose of our analysi s was to evaluate whether parental history of allergic disease was ass ociated with cord blood immunoglobulin E concentration. Methods The st udy subjects were from a defined population of 777 newborns delivered between 1987 and 1989. The mothers of these children completed a quest ionnaire during pregnancy concerning themselves and the child's father , including parental history of physician diagnosis of allergic diseas es (allergies, hay fever and asthma). Total immunoglobulin E levels we re quantitated in cord blood samples with an enzyme-linked immunoassay . Results Median cord blood immunoglobulin E concentration was higher among infants whose mothers had a history of atopic disease, particula rly for those with a history of asthma (P<0.022) and allergen immunoth erapy (P<0.016) vs infants whose mothers had no history of any atopic disease. Comparing all babies with a, maternal history of asthma, to b abies where neither parent had a history of any atopic disease, the me dian cord blood immunoglobulin E was significantly higher (0.36 IU/mL vs 0.21 IU/mL; P<0.009). This association was found only among female infants (0.49 IU/mL vs 0.20 IU/mL; P<0.001). Conclusion Maternal, but not paternal, history of atopic disease was associated with an elevate d immunoglobulin E among newborns. For maternal asthma, this associati on was only evident in infant girls.