title: Increased seroprevalence of Enterovirus 71 IgE antibodies in asthmatic compared with non-asthmatic children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a common pediatric chronic inflammatory airway disease. Respiratory viral infections are frequent infectious triggers for exacerbations of asthma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine whether Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a ubiquitous virus that causes systemic inflammatory responses in children but is not a known respiratory pathogen, can also serve as an infectious trigger for asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specific EV71 IgE and IgM antibodies (Abs), total serum IgE, and IL-2 and IL-4 cytokine levels in serum of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children (N = 42, ages 5-19; N = 35, ages 1-20, respectively) were measured (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthmatic children had higher EV71 IgE Ab levels than non-asthmatic (P < 0.001). Non-asthmatic children had significantly higher EV71 IgM Ab levels than asthmatic (P < 0.001). Despite low serum IgE levels of non-asthmatic, compared with asthmatic (P < 0.001), the non-asthmatic children produced significantly more IL-2 and IL-4 than asthmatic (P < 0.001; P < 0.001). The ages of the asthmatics, but not the non-asthmatics had a significant effect on the levels of EV 71 IgE Abs (P = 0.02; P = 0.356). A test of difference between these two slopes was significant. However, the ages of the non-asthmatic, but not the asthmatic children had a significant effect on the levels of EV 71 IgM Abs; a test of difference between these two slopes was significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased specific EV71 IgE Ab responses may indicate that EV71 infection may also be an infectious trigger in asthma. However, the role of specific EV71 IgM Abs, Th2 cytokines, and age in non-asthmatic children should be further studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Box 49, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA. tamar.smith-norowitz@downstate.edu.|Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA. tamar.smith-norowitz@downstate.edu.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Smith-Norowitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Box 49, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carvajal-Raga
authors.affiliation: Statistical Design and Analysis Research Division, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weedon
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.|Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joks
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Box 49, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Norowitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Box 49, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.|Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Durkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Box 49, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hammerschlag
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Box 49, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.|Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 11203, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohlhoff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D029821:Enterovirus A, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: Cytokines; EV71; IgE