IS DEFICIENCY OF INTERFERON-GAMMA PRODUCTION BY ALLERGEN TRIGGERED CORD-BLOOD CELLS A PREDICTOR OF ATOPIC ECZEMA

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferative responses and interfer on-gamma production to anti-CD3, cat fur extract, betalactoglobulin an d ovalbumin were determined at birth in a group of 34 babies born to f amilies where at least one parent was atopic. The development of atopi c eczema with positive allergy skin-prick tests to cows' milk and egg at 1 year of age, where the symptoms improved on an egg and milk-free diet, was significantly associated with raised proliferative responses and defective IFN-gamma production to stimulation with betalactoglobu lin with a trend for similar responses to ovalbumin. This was not obse rved in those who did not develop atopic eczema or those with atopic e czema not associated with foods. Responses to cat fur extract were not significantly different between those with and without atopic eczema. This has important implications for the prediction at birth, not only of the probability of being allergic, but also of the specific allerg ens which will cause problems. The implementation of specific targeted allergen avoidance during the critical period in infancy, therefore, should be more easily applied and should facilitate attempts to preven t disease.