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Tobacco smoke, IgE sensitization leaves children susceptible to environmental allergens

Children exposed to tobacco smoke may have altered immunoglobulin E–mediated immune responses that may make them more sensitive to environmental allergens such as grass pollen, cockroaches and certain foods, according to study results.

“The association between tobacco smoke exposure and [immunoglobulin E (IgE)] sensitization to environmental allergens varies for different allergens among children,” Tsung-Chieh Yao, MD, PhD, from the Division of Allergy, Asthma, and Rheumatology and Department of Pediatrics at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and colleagues wrote in their study abstract. “This study demonstrates that elevated serum cotinine levels are significantly associated with IgE sensitization to cockroaches, grass pollen, and certain foods, with potential dose-dependent relationships.”

Yao and colleagues evaluated the serum cotinine levels of 1,315 patients as well as measured the specific IgE of each patient using microarray-based multiplex detection, according to the abstract. Patients were aged between 5 years and 18 years and their specific IgE was tested for 40 different allergens.

The researchers found that serum cotinine levels were positively associated with food sensitization (adjusted OR = 4.95; 95% CI, 1.59 – 15.34) as well as cockroaches (adjusted OR = 3.77; 95% CI, 1.49 – 9.51) and pollen (adjusted OR = 2.84; 95% CI, 1.20 – 6.73), according to the abstract. However, Yao and colleagues found no association between allergens such as mold, latex and mites.

Regarding the degree of sensitization, there was a statistically significant dose–response relationship for food sensitization, cockroaches and pollen, and serum cotinine levels were positively correlated with these allergens, according to the abstract. Yao and colleagues also noted a similar result when summing up IgE concentrations for food sensitization, cockroaches and pollen. – by Jeff Craven

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