Helicobacter pylori and specific immunoglobulin E antibodies to food allergens in children.
OBJECTIVE
It has been suggested that chronic Helicobacter pylori infection may increase gastric permeability, predisposing infected children for the development of food allergies. We assessed the presence of food-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E antibodies in H. pylori positive children and controls.


METHODS
We measured specific IgE values to six major food allergens (Pharmacia CAP-system) in a group of school-aged Caucasian (n = 36) and non-Caucasian (n = 38) children with a known H. pylori status. All children had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy because of abdominal complaints.


RESULTS
Among H. pylori positive children (mean age, 8.8 years; range, 5-15 years, 25 female, 26 male), 33% (17 of 51) had an elevated food-specific IgE level to at least one of the food allergens tested. Unexpectedly, the majority of those with elevated serum food-specific IgE levels (12 of 17) were to cow's milk. Among H. pylori negative children (mean age, 9.3 years; range, 5-15 years, 13 female, 10 male), 26% (6 of 23) of the children had an elevated serum IgE level to at least one of the food allergens tested, and 9% (2 of 23) were positive to cow's milk. The difference in the number of children with an elevated serum IgE level for cow's milk in H. pylori positive and negative children was not significant. The severity of gastritis did not correlate with the presence of food-specific IgEs.


CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori infection had no effect on the manifestation of specific IgE to major food allergens in school-aged children. An IgE response to cow's milk was common among these school-aged children.
Kolho
Kaija-Leena
KL
Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Stenbäckinkatu 11, FIN-00029 HUS. kaija-leena.kolho@helsinki.fi
Haapaniemi
Aaro
A
Haahtela
Tari
T
Rautelin
Hilpi
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007073:Immunoglobulin E