|
||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
|
|
JACI Highlights - May 2009Maternal prenatal allergen exposure and immune response to influence cord blood IgEThere is some evidence to suggest that sensitization to antigens may begin prenatally. However, the influence of prenatal maternal allergen exposure on the developing immune system and the possible role of maternal immune response have not been fully elucidated. As reported in the May 2009 issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Peters et al. investigated the role of exposure to dust mite and cockroach allergens during pregnancy and the potential mediation effect of maternal IgE on cord blood IgE after adjusting for other potential predictors (i.e., maternal age, race, education, smoking status, child’s sex and season of birth and season of dust collection). Maternal exposure to higher levels of dust mite allergen during pregnancy was directly associated with increased cord blood IgE. Prenatal exposure to cockroach allergen, on the other hand, was indirectly related to elevated cord blood IgE through its effect on maternal immune response in utero. These results support the hypothesis that the maternal environment during pregnancy does influence the infant’s developing immune system and suggests that the underlying mechanism may be allergen-specific. “Relationships among Prenatal Aeroallergen Exposure, Maternal and Cord Blood Immunoglobulin E: Project ACCESS” by Peters et al. (JACI May 2009 Volume 123 No. 5) |
||||||||||||
|
© 1996-2009 · All Rights Reserved · American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology |
||||||||||||||
