The IgE and IgG subclass antibody response to foods in babies during the first year of life and their relationship to feeding regimen and the development of food allergy

Abstract

This follow-up study of 191 babies investigated the development of food allergy in an unselected population and its relationship to total and antigen-specific IgE and IgG subclass levels. Sensitization to egg, as indicated by a positive skin test or RAST, was found in 5% of 1-year-old babies, but none of the babies in this series fulfilled the clinical criteria for immediate-type milk allergy. For both bovine casein (CAS) and egg albumin, the IgG response was largely restricted to IgG1 in contrast to the predominant IgG4 response to these antigens that is found in adults. The level of IgG4, but not IgG1, antibody to CAS and ovalbumin (OV) was lower in some of the babies compared with that of their mothers (N = 166; p < 0.05, Student's paired t test). However, there was no difference in the total serum IgG subclass levels between mothers and babies. These results demonstrate that, in the population of babies studied, (1) type I hypersensitivity to egg occurred in 5% of 1-year-old babies, (2) the predominant IgG subclass of antibodies to CAS and OV in babies is IgG1, and (3) in the 22% of babies, there was substantially (>1000-fold) less IgG4 antibody to CAS and OV than in their mothers, suggesting specific exclusion of some IgG4 antibodies.