Raised cord serum immunoglobulin E increases the risk of allergic sensitisation at ages 4 and 10 and asthma at age 10.
BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests that a raised level of cord serum IgE (CS-IgE) is a risk factor for allergic sensitisation. However, whether CS-IgE is a risk for asthma is controversial. A study was undertaken to investigate the association between CS-IgE levels and allergic sensitisation at 4 and 10 years of age and asthma at ages 1-2, 4 and 10.


METHODS
CS-IgE was available for 1358 of 1456 children born between 1989 and 1990. The cohort was evaluated for allergic diseases at ages 1, 2, 4 and 10 years. Skin prick tests for six allergens were performed on 981 children at age 4 and 1036 at age 10. Asthma was defined based on a physician's diagnosis. Using logistic regression analysis, the risk of asthma and allergic sensitisation for raised levels of CS-IgE (> or =0.5 kU/l) was estimated.


RESULTS
At ages 4 and 10 years 20.2% and 27.0% of children, respectively, had allergic sensitisation. The risk of allergic sensitisation was significantly associated with raised CS-IgE levels at ages 4 (OR 2.29) and 10 years (OR 1.73). The prevalence of asthma was 10.3% at age 1-2, 15.2% at age 4, and 12.8% at age 10. CS-IgE was not associated with asthma at age 1-2 and 4 but showed an increased relative risk at age 10 (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.62). The association was stronger in children who did not develop allergic sensitisation at age 4 or 10 (OR 3.35, 95% CI 1.41 to 7.93).


CONCLUSIONS
Raised cord serum IgE is a risk factor for allergic sensitisation at ages 4 and 10 years. This is the second study suggesting that CS-IgE is also a risk factor for asthma at age 10, probably related to the late onset of asthma. This association is not necessarily mediated by allergic sensitisation.
Sadeghnejad
A
A
Department of Epidemiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Karmaus
W
W
Davis
S
S
Kurukulaaratchy
R J
RJ
Matthews
S
S
Arshad
S H
SH
D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012882:Skin Tests
D007073:Immunoglobulin E