Clinical and Immunological Studies in the Parents Whose Children Showed Severe IgE-Mediated Food Allergies

Abstract

Our objective was to analyze the clinical and immunological responses to food within two generations. The parental histories of atopic diseases, serum total IgE and specific IgE to food, and maternal specific IgG to egg-white and milk, and total secretory-IgA (slgA) in saliva were examined in 18 nuclear families including children with severe IgE-mediated food allergies. The results were then compared with those for 47 males and 69 females, agematched, whose children were free of atopic diseases. When analyzed statistically, the following were found to be significantly different between the two groups. (1) The frequency of a maternal history of an adverse reactions to food in the food-allergy group was higher than that in the nonallergy group (3/18 vs 1/69, p < 0.05), however, the maternal specific sensitization to the foods did not correspond to that in the children. (2) The frequency of maternal total IgE levels of more than 400 IU/ml in the food-allergy group was higher than that in the nonallergy group (6/18 vs 7/69, p < 0.05). The maternal levels of specific IgG to the foods and total slgA were not statistically different between the two groups. The maternal atopic status as to food seems to be more decisive than that the paternal one with regard to a child's risk of food allergy, but the biological contact between child and mother in utero does not seem to play a role in the development of food allergy.