title: [Clinical significance of determination of serum IgE in infants with milk allergy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical significance of milk protein-specific IgE (sIgE) for infants with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six infants with CMPA were divided into IgE+ group (n=26) and IgE- group (n=70) and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups. Infants were denied allergy-inducing food and fed instead extensively hydrolyzed formulas or amino-acid formulas for 16 weeks before the two groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-seven percent of the infants were sIgE-seropositive. The first onset age of CMPA was significantly younger in the IgE+ group than in the IgE- group (P<0.05), and the family history of allergy and respiratory symptoms were significantly less common in the IgE- group than in the IgE+ group (P<0.05). Severe CMPA, gastrointestinal symptoms, underweight, growth retardation, anemia, and hypoproteinemia were significantly more common in the IgE- group than in the IgE+ group (P<0.05). Erythema, urticaria, vomiting, nasal discharge, cough, wheezing, and paroxysms of crying were major clinical symptoms of the IgE+ group, and their incidences were significantly higher in the IgE+ group than in the IgE- group (P<0.05); eczema, constipation, and diarrhea were major symptoms of the IgE- group, and their incidences were significantly higher in the IgE- group than in the IgE+ group (P<0.05). The remission rate of each symptom was as high as over 80% in the two groups after 16 weeks of intervention and there was no significant difference in the remission rates between the two groups (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IgE seropositive rate is not high in infants with CMPA. Atypical signs instead of allergic symptoms are more common in the IgE seronegative infants with CMPA. Avoiding allergy-inducing food and eating extensively hydrolyzed formulas or amino-acid formulas in early age benefit infants with IgE-mediated or non-IgE-mediated CMPA.
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China. zmh1962cn@163.com.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Li-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mei-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yun-Guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E