DETERMINANTS OF CORD-BLOOD IGE CONCENTRATIONS IN 6401 GERMAN NEONATES

For screening atopy risk in 6401 (84%) of all infants born during the year 1990 in six obstetric departments of five German cities, cord-blo od IgE values were determined with CAP-RAST-FEIA. After cases with ele vated IgA values had been excluded, 25% of the values were above the d etection limit of 0.35 kU/1, and 8.5% were above 0.9 kU/1. Boys had si gnificantly higher values than girls (P<0.001). The distribution of va lues was significantly different for different nationalities of mother s (P<0.001). The percentage of elevated values (>0.9 kU/1) increased s ignificantly with the number of close family members with atopic histo ry (P<0.001). Regarding the atopic history of the father, siblings, an d mother separately, only the mother's history had a significant assoc iation with the cord-blood IgE class (P<0.001). The IgE values of 81 t win pairs correlated significantly with a coefficient of r = 0.4909 (P <0.001). The smoking history of the parents during pregnancy showed an association with cord-blood IgE values (P<0.02). No significant assoc iation could be shown between cord-blood IgE distribution and other va riables, i.e., gestational age, birth size, birth modus, Apgar score, cord-blood pH value, neonatal problems, parity, age of the mother, med ication during pregnancy, educational level of mother or father, time of year, or obstetric department. It is hypothesized that, in addition to some postpartum contamination or placental transfer of maternal Ig E, cord-blood IgE values are also determined by the fetal immunologic reaction to intrauterine exposure to allergens and trigger factors, an d by genetic influences.