Petra Ina Pfefferle1, Serdar Sel1, Markus Johannes Ege2, Gisela Büchele3, Nicole Blümer1, Susanne Krauss-Etschmann4, Ileana Herzum1, Christoph E Albers1, Roger P Lauener5, Marjut Roponen6, Maija-Riitta Hirvonen6, Dominique A Vuitton7, Josef Riedler8, Bert Brunekreef9, Jean-Charles Dalphin10, Charlotte Braun-Fahrländer11, Juha Pekkanen12, Erika von Mutius2, Harald Renz13. 1. Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 2. University Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany. 3. Institute of Epidemiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. 4. University Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany; Heimholtz-Zentrum München-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany. 5. Zurich University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. 6. Department of Environmental Health, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland. 7. Research Unit Health and Rural Environment, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France. 8. Children's Hospital, Schwarzach, Austria. 9. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences and Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. 10. Department of Respiratory Disease, University Hospital, Besançon, France. 11. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 12. Department of Environmental Health, National Public Health Institute, Kuopio, Finland; School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland. 13. Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: renzh@med.uni-marburg.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is currently discussed whether allergic sensitization may start in utero under the influence of the maternal immune system and environmental determinants. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between allergen-specific cord blood (CB) IgE levels, parental sensitization, CB cytokine production, and environmental influences. METHODS: As part of an ongoing multicenter birth cohort study, allergen-specific IgE antibodies against 20 common seasonal, perennial, and food allergens were measured in blood samples from 922 neonates, 922 mothers, and 835 fathers. Supernatants from stimulated CB cells were assessed for the production of IL-5, IFN-gamma, IL-10, and TNF-alpha. RESULTS: Allergen-specific IgE antibodies were detectable in 23.9% of newborns. Contamination with maternal serum was excluded by several means of analyses, including the absence of IgA antibodies. Clear correlation between maternal and fetal IgE was found only for hen's egg, cow's milk, and soybean allergen. Fetal IgE correlated negatively with the level of IFN-gamma production, but not with IL-5 and IL-10. CONCLUSION: Allergen-specific IgE antibodies most probably of fetal origin are detectable in CB and correlate with a lowered CB IFN-gamma production.
BACKGROUND: It is currently discussed whether allergic sensitization may start in utero under the influence of the maternal immune system and environmental determinants. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between allergen-specific cord blood (CB) IgE levels, parental sensitization, CB cytokine production, and environmental influences. METHODS: As part of an ongoing multicenter birth cohort study, allergen-specific IgE antibodies against 20 common seasonal, perennial, and food allergens were measured in blood samples from 922 neonates, 922 mothers, and 835 fathers. Supernatants from stimulated CB cells were assessed for the production of IL-5, IFN-gamma, IL-10, and TNF-alpha. RESULTS: Allergen-specific IgE antibodies were detectable in 23.9% of newborns. Contamination with maternal serum was excluded by several means of analyses, including the absence of IgA antibodies. Clear correlation between maternal and fetal IgE was found only for hen's egg, cow's milk, and soybean allergen. Fetal IgE correlated negatively with the level of IFN-gamma production, but not with IL-5 and IL-10. CONCLUSION: Allergen-specific IgE antibodies most probably of fetal origin are detectable in CB and correlate with a lowered CB IFN-gamma production.
Authors: Hartmut Vogt; Lennart Bråbäck; Olof Zetterström; Katalin Zara; Karin Fälth-Magnusson; Lennart Nilsson Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-06-21 Impact factor: 3.240