Related Experiment Videos
[Serum IgE in infants. Usual values and values in intolerance to cow's milk proteins (author's transl)]
Insights
Infants with cow's milk intolerance may have elevated serum IgE levels and positive specific IgE tests, or normal IgE levels with negative tests, suggesting different mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatrics
Context:
- Infant serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels are crucial for understanding immune responses.
- Cow's milk intolerance is a common concern in infants, with varying clinical presentations.
Purpose:
- To determine normal serum IgE values in infants under 4 months.
- To investigate the role of IgE in cow's milk intolerance using PRIST and RAST techniques.
Summary:
- Serum IgE levels were measured in 80 infants, showing a correlation with age. In 38 infants with cow's milk intolerance, two groups emerged: one with elevated IgE and positive specific IgE tests (14/17), and another with normal IgE and negative tests (21/21).
- The findings suggest that cow's milk intolerance may not always be mediated by IgE antibodies, particularly in cases without extra-digestive symptoms.
Impact:
- This study differentiates types of cow's milk intolerance based on IgE levels and RAST results.
- Provides insights into the immunological basis of infant food intolerances, aiding in diagnosis and management.
Abstract:
The usual values of serum IgE were determined by age group (at birth, 3--8 days, 9--45 days, 46--75 days and 76--105 days) in 80 infants under 4 months using the paper-radioimmuno-sorbent test (PRIST). There was a highly significant correlation between these values and the infants' age. Systematic search for specific anti-cow's milk IgE by a related technique (RAST) consistently gave negative results. The same techniques were used in 38 infants with clinical symptoms of intolerance to cow's milk. It would appear that these patients can be divided into two groups according to the presence of absence of extra-digestive symptoms. In the first group, there was a significant increase in total serum IgE, and the RAST was positive in 14 out of 17 patients. In the second group (21 infants), IgE levels were not increased and the RAST was always negative, which suggests that this type of intolerance is not reagin-mediated.