Determination of chemical-specific IgGs in serum by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with partial peptides of human serum albumin

Association between bisphenol A diglycidyl ether-specific IgG in serum and food sensitization in young children

Background

Recent studies have reported that endocrine-disrupting compound (EDC) exposure is related to food sensitization. Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) is one of the most widespread EDCs and its biological effects are considered to be greater on children than on adults. This study investigated the relationship between serum BADGE-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations and food sensitization in young children by measuring food-specific IgE levels.

Methods

In total, 98 young children (59 boys and 39 girls; median age: 7 months; 25th and 75th percentile ages: 6 and 8 months, respectively) were enrolled. Blood samples were collected twice from all children (median sampling interval: 6 months; 25th and 75th percentile: 5 and 7 months). Food sensitization was evaluated based on food-specific IgE titers (egg white, milk, and wheat), which were determined using the capsulated hydrophilic carrier polymer-radioallergosorbent test. Furthermore, a dot-blotting assay for BADGE-specific IgG and quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR for IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and COX-2 mRNA expression were conducted.

Results

BADGE-specific IgG was detected in 20% of study subjects. A significant association was observed between the presence of BADGE-specific IgG and elevated wheat-specific IgE levels (OR = 3.56; 95% CI 1.13–11.2; P = 0.031). This relationship was particularly strong in girls (OR = 9.46; 95% CI 1.01–89.0; P = 0.049). A slight but non-significant association was noted between the presence of BADGE-specific IgG and elevated milk-specific IgE levels (OR = 2.77; 95% CI 0.93–8.22; P = 0.067). The expression of IL-6 mRNA among children with BADGE-specific IgG tended to increase, along with wheat-specific IgE levels.

Conclusion

BADGE exposure might enhance food sensitization in early childhood. Therefore, this should be strictly regulated, especially in younger children.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40001-018-0358-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.