Cord blood versus age 5 mononuclear cell proliferation on IgE and asthma

As part of an ongoing cohort study of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH), CBMCs and age 5 PBMCs were cultured with cockroach, mouse, and dust mite protein extracts. CBMC proliferation and cytokine (IL-5 and IFN-γ) responses, and age 5 PBMC proliferation responses, were compared to anti-cockroach, anti-mouse, and anti-dust mite IgE levels, wheeze, cough, eczema and asthma.Correlations between CBMC and age 5 PBMC proliferation in response to cockroach, mouse, and dust mite antigens were nonsignificant. Cockroach-, mouse-, and dust mite-induced CBMC proliferation and cytokine responses were not associated with allergen-specific IgE at ages 2, 3, and 5, or with asthma and eczema at age 5. However, after adjusting for potential confounders, age 5 cockroach-induced PBMC proliferation was associated with anti-cockroach IgE, total IgE, and asthma (p < 0.05).In contrast to allergen-induced CBMC proliferation, age 5 cockroach-induced PBMC proliferation was associated with age 5 specific and total IgE, and asthma, in an inner-city cohort where cockroach allergens are prevalent and exposure can be high.There has been longstanding controversy in the literature regarding whether biomarkers measured in cord blood may help predict subsequent childhood asthma or atopy [1-9]. Prospective birth cohorts studies have demonstrated that cord blood IgE is a better predictor of skin prick test (SPT) positivity to aeroallergens (dust mite, grass, cat and dog) than family history when assessed up to age 5 years [2,6,7]. A similar positive association with early asthma at age 5 years has been more difficult to demonstrate [2,7]. However, others have shown a positive association between elevated cord blood IgE with risk of later asthma at age 10 years [9], and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis at age 20 years [8].The findings continue to be mixed when comparing aeroallergen-induced cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC) proliferation with the subsequent risk for developing a