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Clostridium difficile , atopy and wheeze during the first year of life
Author(s) -
Woodcock Ashley,
Moradi Mohammad,
Smillie Frazer I.,
Murray Clare S.,
Burnie James P.,
Custovic Adnan
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2002.01066.x
Subject(s) - medicine , wheeze , atopy , clostridium difficile , allergy , gastroenterology , immunology , asthma , atopic dermatitis , immunoglobulin e , prospective cohort study , immunoglobulin a , cohort study , antibody , immunoglobulin g , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , biology
Differences have been suggested to occur in the composition of intestinal microflora from allergic and non‐allergic children. In this study we used a semi‐quantitative enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the measurement of Clostridium difficile ‐specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) (CDIgG). CDIgG was excellent in differentiating between adults with or without Cl. difficile colitis (absorbance levels, positive vs. negative controls: geometric mean (GM) 0.301, 95% CI: 0.289–0.314 vs. GM 0.167, 95% CI: 0.155–0.181; mean difference 1.8‐fold, 95% CI: 1.65–1.95; p < 0.0001). We used this technique to investigate whether there are any differences between atopic wheezy infants and non‐atopic non‐wheezy controls. In a prospective cohort study (n = 390) 10 patients were identified at 1 year of age (atopic, history of recurrent wheeze) and matched (gender, month of birth, exposure to Der p 1, Fel d 1 and Can f 1) with a control group of infants (non‐atopic, no history of wheeze). The patients had significantly higher Cl. difficile ‐specific IgG absorbance levels (GM 0.298, 95% CI: 0.249–0.358) compared with controls (GM 0.235, 95% CI: 0.201–0.274; mean difference 1.27‐fold, 95% CI: 1.07–1.50; p = 0.01). These results suggest that there may be differences in the composition of intestinal microflora between allergic and non‐allergic infants at 1 year of age, with allergic children having higher Cl. difficile IgG antibody levels.