Total Serum IgE in a Cohort of Children With Food Allergy

Total serum IgE (TsIgE) has not been examined in children with food allergy.

To evaluate associations of TsIgE with patient, household, environmental, and community-level characteristics among children with food allergy.

We used linear mixed-effects models of data from 398 Black and/or African American (B/AA) and White and/or European American (W/EA) children with allergist-diagnosed food allergy from the multicenter, observational cohort FORWARD (Food Allergy Outcomes Related to White and African American Racial Differences); TsIgE (kU/L) was the primary outcome measure.

In univariable analyses of data from all study sites, children's TsIgE was positively associated with older age (P < .001); B/AA race (P < .001); male sex (P = .014); lower household income (P = .005); lower caregiver education (P = .005); higher Area Deprivation Index (P < .001); presence of allergic rhinitis (P < .001), asthma (P < .001), and eczema (P = .024); and a higher number of food allergies (P < .001), but not with tobacco smoke exposure. With covariable adjustment in multivariable analysis, total serum IgE was higher in older versus younger children (P < .001), male versus female children, B/AA versus W/EA children (P < .001), and in children with allergic rhinitis (P = .010), asthma (P < .001), eczema (P = .007), or a higher number of food allergies (P < .001), but not with tobacco smoke exposure or Area Deprivation Index.

In children with food allergy, age, sex, race, atopic diagnosis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and eczema are associated with TsIgE. These findings are important when TsIgE values are used in diagnosis and therapies.