Immunoglobulin E in the sera of infants and children

The serum IgE level has been studied from birth up to 14 years of age. The mean serum IgE concentration was found to be correlated with age. Parallel measurements in cord blood and maternal blood yielded a mean of 25 I.U./ml (range, 0--90 I.U.) for the former and one of 124 I.U./ml (range, 50-600 I.U.) for the latter. The normal IgE level ranged from 20 to 100 I.U./ml in infants and from 100 to 200 I.U./ml in children, but even values of 400 to 600 I.U. did not necessarily reflect a pathological condition. In the majority of patients with eczema, urticaria and spastic bronchitis, high IgE levels were measured. The highest individual and mean values were obtained in children harbouring intestinal helminths, though a normal IgE level also occurred in such patients. In coeliac disease the values were within normal limits.