Background: Specific predictors for atopic sensitization in early infancy are prerequisites for preventive intervention studies.
Objective: To identify predictors of allergic sensitization to common aeroallergens in infancy, 1314 children in five German cities were followed up from birth (1990) to the age of 3 years.
Methods: Blood samples were taken from cord blood and at follow-up visits at the ages of 1, 2, and 3 years. Total serum IgE and specific IgE antibodies to common food and inhalant allergens were determined.
Results: Among our study population, risk factors for sensitization to indoor and/or outdoor allergens at the age of 3 years were a positive family history, the presence of hen's egg-specific IgE antibodies (> or = 0.35 kU/L), and increased log- [total IgE] levels at the age of 12 months. Elevated cord blood IgE was not associated with sensitization to inhalant allergens at the age of 3 years. Egg-specific IgE greater than 2 kU/L in combination with a positive family history of atopy was a highly specific (specificity, 99%) and predictive (positive predictive value, 78%) marker for sensitization to inhalant allergens at 3 years of age.
Conclusions: Hen's egg-specific IgE at the age of 12 months is a valuable marker for subsequent allergic sensitization to allergens that cause asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis.