Abstract
BACKGROUND: There are precedents to suggest that lead exposure may increase the severity of allergic disease in children. In Torreon Coahuila is known the problem of lead contamination and its association with the body burden in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and biochemical characteristics of allergic disease in children living in areas at risk of lead exposure. METHODS: We included children between 6 and 11 years old with clinical diagnosis of allergy, who were attending by allergic consultation in the Center of attention Heavy Metals in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. Medical evaluation was performed following the diagnostic criteria described by ARIA, Global Initiative for Asthma and the Hanifin and Rajka criteria for atopic dermatitis. Skin tests were applied to 47 common allergens in the region. Were quantified in serum, the levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and IgG4 by ELISA, total IgE levels by chemiluminescence and lead in blood by spectrophotometry AA. RESULTS: We present the results of 33 patients (16 girls/17 boys) aged 8 ± 1.38. The main risk factors for allergy were current animal contact (66.7%), past animal exposure (60.6%) and passive smoking (51.5%). The predominant allergy diseases: rhinitis (97%), conjunctivitis (43.8%) and atopic dermatitis (33.3%). The allergens with the higher prevalence of responses were: thickets (91.2%) and grass (88.2%). The average blood lead level was 4.36 μg/dL ± 2.13 and median total IgE 660 IU/mL. We present the analysis of the levels of cytokines, total IgE and IgG4 according to the types of allergy, severity and frequency of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: IgE levels according to the type of allergic disease, severity and frequency seem to be related to the balance IL-4/INF g. The IgG4 seems to be positively related to total IgE levels in rhinitis, conjunctivitis and dermatitis and negatively with Asthma and other allergies. No association was found between blood lead levels and total IgE.