Total Serum Immunoglobulin E is Higher in African than European American Children with Food Allergy
Year: 2023
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: The effect of race, age, sex, atopy, environmental exposures, and social determinants of health on total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) has not been examined in children with food allergy. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis with univariable and multivariable linear mixed effect models of data from 398 African American and European American children 0-12 years with allergist-diagnosed food allergy from the multi-center, observational cohort FORWARD; total serum IgE in kU/L was the primary outcome measure. Results: Total serum IgE positively associated with African American race ( p < .0001), older age ( p < .0001), male sex ( p =. 0142), lower household income ( p = .0051), lower parent/caregiver education ( p = .0051), allergic rhinitis ( p < .0001), asthma ( p < .0001), eczema ( p = .0240), and a higher number of food allergies ( p < .0001), but not tobacco smoke exposure. After covariate adjustment in multivariable analysis, total serum IgE remained higher in African American than European American ( p < .0001), older than younger ( p < .0001), and male than female children and in children with allergic rhinitis ( p = .0083), asthma ( p < .0001), eczema ( p = .0140), and a higher number of food allergies ( p < .0001). Conclusions: We provide foundational data that total serum IgE varies by race in children with food allergy; values were higher in African American than European American children, independent of atopic status. These findings call attention to the need to establish race-dependent values of total serum IgE for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Authors: Amal Assa'ad, Lili Ding, Qing Duan, Tesfaye Mersha, Christopher Warren, Lucy Bilaver, Megan Ulrich, Mark Wlodarski, Jialing Jiang, Johnathan J. Choi, Susan S. Xie, Ashwin Kulkarni, Susan Fox, Sai Nimmagadda, Mary Tobin, Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, Hemant Sharma, Ruchi Gupta
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology and Allergy
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4360869600