Allergen‐Specific IgE Antibodies against Antigenic Components in Cow Milk and Milk Substitutes

Abstract

Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis (CRIE) was used to study the presence of serum IgE against antigenic components of cow milk in 21 selected milk-allergic patients. The amount of each IgE specificity was estimated by a scoring system. The milk-allergic children had mainly IgE against alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, albumin and immunoglobulin, the four major proteins of bovine whey, as well as IgE against three casein components. A serum pool from 1000 normal adults had IgE against the same whey protein, but in smaller amounts, and no IgE against the casein components. Eight cow milk-based formulae, commonly used for infant feeding, and goat milk were studied by the same method. It was found that six of the milk substitutes did not differ significantly from cow milk in antibody binding, but the two hydrolysed casein products, Nutramigen and Pregestimil, consisted of such small molecules that the rabbit antisera could not precipitate the hydrolysed proteins in the gels on the CRIE plates. It was therefore not possible to study their IgE binding, if any, by this method.

Identification of casein as the major allergenic and antigenic protein of cow's milk

“…This observation was supported by studies with RAST, skin test, histamine release, and blast transformation of lymphocytes, among other methods (4,(6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

“…However, further studies on the allergenic behavior of hypoallergenic substitutes for cow's milk showed that casein was an important allergen (4,6). This observation was supported by studies with RAST, skin test, histamine release, and blast transformation of lymphocytes, among other methods (4,(6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

“…Calibration was obtained with positive sera against Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus by Johansson's method (6) to quantify specific IgE in classes.…”

Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Dietetic products, nutrition and allergies [NDA] on a request from the Commission relating to the evaluation of allergenic foods for labelling purposes

“…Wal, 1998 and The main characteristic that should be underlined is the multiplicity and diversity of proteins that are involved in cows' milk allergy. Sensitivities to the various cows' milk proteins have been demonstrated by Goldman et al (1963 a and b), Gjesing et al (1986) and Docena et al (1996). Polysensitisation to several proteins occurs often and all milk proteins appear to be potential allergens.…”

Immunoreactivity to food protein in pathogenesis of recurrent oral ulceration

“…Iz razloga sto P-laktoglobиJjn njje prisutan u humanom mleku, ovaj protejn је dugo vremena smatran najvainijjm alergenom kravljeg mleka (307)(308)(309) Hidvegi i saradnici (2002.) (324) su ispitivali nivo serumskih imunoglobиlina na razlicite proteine kravljeg mleka и pedesetoro dece sa alergijom na kravlje mleko, da…”