475 Plasma Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Concentration is related to Allergen Sensitization in Young Children. G. R. Bloomberg1, S. Demehri1, C. M. ...
AB126 Abstracts
475
SUNDAY
Plasma Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Concentration is related to Allergen Sensitization in Young Children G. R. Bloomberg1, S. Demehri1, C. M. Visness2, G. O’Connor3, M. Kattan4, R. Wood5, J. E. Gern6, R. Kopan1; 1Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 2Rho Federal Systems Division, Inc.,, Chapel Hill, NC, 3Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 4Columbia University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 5Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 6University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI. RATIONALE: Studies in mice have shown that elevated levels in blood of the cytokine, Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP), lead to allergen sensitization and airway hyperresponsiveness to allergen challenge. We completed a pilot study to measure plasma TSLP concentration in young children enrolled in the Urban Environment and Childhood Asthma (URECA) study, an inner-city birth cohort, and the relation to eczema, wheeze, and allergy. METHODS: Newborns of atopic parents, enrolled at birth, were followed through 3 years of age. Features examined were: eczema (EASI>1), any allergen-specific IgE > 0.35 kU/L, and recurrent wheezing episodes. We measured plasma TSLP levels in a pilot study of 50 children, 35 at 24 months of age, 15 at 36 months. (Three with samples at both time points.) Plasma TLSP concentration was measured by ELISA. Specific IgE for Der p, Der f, cat, dog, mouse, and Alternaria were available for the 36-month samples. RESULTS: TSLP was detectable in plasma in 23 of 50 children examined. Average TSLP concentrations were higher for children with detectable allergen-specific IgE, compared to those with undetectable specific IgE, for all allergens except Alternaria. These differences were significant (p
