Abstract
Although many infants with clinical manifestations of milk allergy demonstrate antibodies (AB) against cow's milk protein (CMP), the development of the immune response to CMP in normal infants is not known. We have determined the IgG and IgE AB response to CMPs (B-lactoglobulin,ô-lactalbumin, and ô-casein) using a modified ELISA procedure with human serum albumin as a negative control. Sera were screened at dilutions of 1:5 for IgE and 1:1000 for IgG antibodies. Sera were obtained during the first 24 hrs and at either 4 wks (11 infants) or 8 wks (13 infants) postnatal age from healthy term infants (n = 24) (BW 3342 ± 438g)(M ± SO). 13/24 infants received bottle (BO) feedings, 8 both breast (BR) and BO, and 3 were exclusively BR fed. Of the infants screened at 4 wks, 4/11 demonstrated a rise in IgG and IgE CMP AB (p=NS), while at 8 wks, 11/13 had significantly increased CMP AB responses (plt;.0001). Among the 15 AB+ infants, 13 had an increase in both IgG and IgE titers, 1 had only an IgG and 1 an IgE response. There was no evident relationship between feeding practice (BR, BO, BR/BO) and the development of CMP AB, although 2/3 infants exclusively BR fed were AB negative. Thus, a significant number of infants exposed to CMP develop IgG and IgE antibody responses by 2 months postnatal age. The formation of AB may be a manifestation of a normal immune response to CMP rather than an early indicator of allergy in newborn infants.
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Harris, M., Kolski, G., Campbell, D. et al. 979 ANTÍBODIES TO COW'S MILK PROTEIN IN NEWBORN INFANTS. Pediatr Res 19, 274 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01009
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01009