Abstract | BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of specific IgG4 antibodies to hen's egg white and determine their utility as a marker for the outcome of oral challenge test in children sensitized to hen's egg METHODS: The hen's egg oral food challenge test was performed in 105 sensitized children without atopic dermatitis, and the titers of egg white-specific immunoglobulin G4 ( IgG4) and immunoglobulin E ( IgE) antibodies were measured. To set the cut-off values of IgG4, IgE, and the IgE/ IgG4 ratio for predicting positive results in oral challenges, receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted and the area under the curves (AUC) were calculated. RESULTS: Sixty-four of 105 oral challenges with whole eggs were assessed as positive. The AUC for IgE, IgG4, and IgE/ IgG4 for the prediction of positive results were 0.609, 0.724, and 0.847, respectively. Thus, the IgE/ IgG4 ratio generated significantly higher specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (%), and negative predictive value (%) than the individual IgE and IgG4. The negative predictive value of the IgE/ IgG4 ratio was 90% at a value of 1. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that the egg white-specific serum IgE/ IgG4 ratio is important for predicting reactivity to egg during food challenges.
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Authors | Shindou Okamoto, Shoichiro Taniuchi, Kyoko Sudo, Yasuko Hatano, Keiji Nakano, Tomohiko Shimo, Kazunari Kaneko |
Journal | Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
(Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol)
Vol. 8
Issue 1
Pg. 9
(06 07 2012)
ISSN: 1710-1492 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 22676477
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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