Elevated allergen-induced IL-13 secretion predicts IgE elevation in children ages 2-5 years.
It is unclear if early immune responses to allergens, specifically Th1 and Th2 cytokine production, predict later immune responses, including increased IgE levels. In a group of children (n = 151) with a parental history of allergy or asthma followed from ages 2 through 5 years, we examined IL-13, IL-4, and IFN-gamma secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and to dust mite (Der f 1), cockroach (Bla g 2), and cat (Fel d 1) allergens in relation to elevated IgE. Elevated IgE was defined either as a positive IgE-specific response to at least one allergen (dust mite, cockroach, cat, and ovalbumin) or as an elevated total IgE level above a specified cut-off value. In multivariate logistic regression models including 181 observations made between the age of 2 through 5 years and accounting for repeated measures, we found an association between increased IL-13 secretion in response to Der f 1 and elevated IgE (odds ratio [OR] = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.34). Age did not modify this relationship. No association was found between allergen-induced IFN-gamma secretion and IgE production. Among the group of children with measurements made at age 4-5 (n = 70), IL-13 in response to Der f 1 (p = 0.046), and IL-4 in response to PHA (p = 0.04) were increased among children with elevated IgE. In a smaller subset of children with measurements made at both age 2-3 and age 4-5 (n = 36), IL-13 levels at age 2-3 were also significantly increased in response to Der f 1 (p = 0.01) and Fel d 1 (p = 0.002) among those with elevated IgE at age 4-5. In a group of children ages 2-5 years, there is an association between IL-13 and elevated IgE.
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Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. renpl@channing.harvard.edu
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Sredl
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Perkins
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Finn
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Weiss
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Gold
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D000485:Allergens / Q000502:physiology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000485:Allergens; D016207:Cytokines; D018793:Interleukin-13; D008934:Mitogens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E