Evaluation of cord blood immunoglobulin E and its association with maternal factors in a group of Iranian newborns

Allergic disorders are among the most common diseases around the world especially in children. Many factors contribute to the pathogenesis of atopic disorders, but early events during the pregnancy are very important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of cord blood immunoglobulin E (CB-IgE) and its association with maternal in a group of Iranian newborns. In a cross-sectional study, 163 pregnant women randomly selected and information about pregnancy and atopy were taken by questionnaire. Blood samples of mothers and matched cord blood were collected and total serum IgE levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. To rolling out the possibility of contamination with maternal blood, total IgA was checked for all the cord blood samples. Sixteen percent of mothers had the history of atopic diseases and the mean IgE level was significantly higher in an atopic than nonatopic mothers (241 vs 102, P < 0.001). About 73.9% of cord blood samples, had high IgE level (>0.9 IU/mL). The level of cord blood IgE (CB-IgE) was not significantly different in male and female newborns (2.14 vs 2.15 IU/mL). There was no significant correlation between maternal factors such as age, pregnancy variables, allergens exposure, smoking, and maternal IgE with cord blood IgE. The results of this study showed that CB-IgE is high in a remarkable number of samples; independent of maternal or fetal factors. Further studies need to evaluate the reasons for the high level of IgE in cord blood in our area.