HIGH ANTI-IGE LEVELS AT BIRTH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A REDUCED ALLERGY PREVALENCE IN INFANTS AT RISK - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Development of atopic disease was prospectively studied in 148 childre n from birth to the age of 18 months and related to serum levels of Ig G anti-IgE antibody. Children with a dual heredity of allergy, but rem aining healthy, had significantly higher IgG anti-IgE levels at birth than children with a similar predisposition to allergy, who became all ergic. Children with increased allergy risk, defined by elevated IgE l evels at birth (>=0.53 kU/1) and with probable allergy symptoms had al so significantly higher IgG anti-IgE levels at birth than children of the same risk group, developing definite allergy. Independent of aller gy risk, there was a significantly lower prevalence of atopic disease in children with cord serum levels of IgG anti-IgE above 350 AU/1 than in children with lower levels. Additionally, we showed that the aller gy predictive capacity of IgE levels in cord serum was slightly improv ed in specificity, sensitivity and efficiency by including not only th e family history of allergy, but also cord serum levels of IgG anti-Ig E. Our results thus raise the possibility that high levels of IgG anti -IgE protect children of increased allergy risk from early development of atopic disease and reduce the severity of symptoms.