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Lead exposure, IgE, and the risk of asthma in children
I-Jen Wang1,2,3, Wilfried J J Karmaus4, Chen-Chang Yang2,5
1Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan.
Insights
Lead exposure in children is linked to higher immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and asthma, particularly in boys. This suggests IgE may mediate the impact of lead on childhood asthma development.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Allergy
- Toxicology
Background:
- Lead (Pb) exposure adversely affects the nervous and renal systems, with young children being particularly vulnerable.
- The impact of low-level lead exposure on the pediatric immune system and allergic diseases remains unclear.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for public health interventions targeting children's environmental health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between lead exposure and allergic diseases in children.
- To examine the role of immunoglobulin E (IgE) as a potential mediator in the lead-asthma relationship.
- To explore gender-based differences in these associations.
Main Methods:
- Multistage stratified random sampling recruited nationwide kindergarten children in Taiwan.
- Data on allergic diseases and environmental exposures were collected via questionnaires.
- Blood lead levels were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; associations were analyzed using logistic regression, generalized linear models, and mediation analysis.
Main Results:
- A positive association was found between blood lead levels and asthma.
- Blood lead levels were positively correlated with serum IgE, even after adjusting for confounders.
- Gender-stratified analyses indicated that blood lead correlated with IgE specifically in boys; IgE mediated 38% of the effect of lead exposure on asthma.
Conclusions:
- Lead exposure is associated with elevated blood IgE and asthma in children, particularly boys.
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays a mediating role in the relationship between lead exposure and childhood asthma.
- These findings highlight the immunotoxic effects of lead and underscore the need for reducing lead exposure in children to prevent allergic diseases.
Abstract:
Lead (Pb) has adverse effects on our nervous system and renal systems. Young children are more vulnerable to Pb exposure. However, the role of low-level Pb exposure in the immune system and allergic diseases in children is not well established. The aims of this study are to investigate the associations between Pb exposure and allergic diseases; between Pb and immunoglobulin E (IgE) as an intervening variable; and gender-based differences. We used multistage stratified random sampling to recruit kindergarten children nationwide in Taiwan. Information about allergic diseases and environmental exposures was collected by questionnaire. We compared children with and without allergic diseases for blood Pb levels measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The association between blood Pb and allergic diseases was assessed by logistic regression and those between Pb and IgE by generalized linear models. We also conducted mediation analysis to evaluate how much risk of allergic diseases related to Pb exposure is explained by IgE. A total of 930 children completed specimen collections. There was a positive association between Pb and asthma. Blood Pb were also positively linked with serum IgE (β=0.26 kU/l per ln-unit increase Pb concentration; 95% CI 0.009-0.50 kU/l), after adjusting for potential confounders. Analyses stratified by gender revealed that blood Pb correlated with IgE only in boys (β=0.40 kU/l; 95% CI 0.03-0.76 kU/l). We estimated that 38% of the total effect of Pb exposure on asthma is mediated by IgE levels. In conclusion, Pb exposure is associated with both blood IgE and asthma in boys. Moreover, the effect of Pb exposure on asthma may be mediated by IgE levels.