Occurrence and subclass distribution of
IgG to
alpha-lactalbumin (ALA),
beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), and
ovalbumin (OA) have been determined in 30 children with
atopic dermatitis (AD) and in their mothers. Thirty nonatopic (NA) children and their mothers were studied as controls. Total
IgE and
IgE to ALA, BLG, OA, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Lolium perenne were also investigated. The main purpose of this study was to determine whether in humans, as observed in animals, maternal
allergen-specific
IgG influences
allergen-specific
IgE synthesis in children.
IgG1,
IgG2,
IgG3, and
IgG4 to ALA, and
IgG1 and
IgG2 to OA were more frequent in AD children than in NA children. As compared with mothers of NA children, mothers of AD children had similar frequency and levels of
IgG subclasses to BLG and to OA, but a higher frequency of
IgG1,
IgG2, and
IgG3 to ALA. In no case did total or
allergen-specific
IgE levels correlate with any subclass of
allergen-specific
IgG, which in turn influenced neither total
IgE levels nor
allergen-specific
IgE distribution. The presence of
allergen-specific
IgG of any subclass in mothers was not associated with modifications in total
IgE levels nor in
allergen-specific
IgG subclass distribution in AD children. But occurrence of
IgE to OA was higher in AD children whose mothers had
IgG4 to OA. This finding may be a model of interference in specific
IgE response in the child caused by isotype response in the mother.