Lymphocyte blastogenesis in children with cow's milk hypersensitivity after its elimination from the diet
Brarda, O.A.; Vanella, L.M.; Greco, C.R.
Allergologia et Immunopathologia 17(1): 45-48
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-0546 PMID: 2750640 Document Number: 334454
The relationship between ingestion of cow milk and lymphocyte transformation in cow milk-allergic children was studied. 56 children were selected. 19 of them suffered from cow milk hypersensitivity (HCM); 22 were allergic to several agents except cow milk (HOE), and 15 normal and healthy children made up the control group (NH). Lymphoblastogenesis was measured by tritiated thymidine uptake and the cells were cultured with plasma from the same individual. The lymphoblastogenesis was indirectly estimated using an equation in which blastogenesis with no antigen added, BTI = (cpm I - cpm E)/cpm I where cpm I represents lymphoblastogenesis stimulated by phytohaemagglutinin and cpm E represents lymphoblastic transformation with no antigen added to the culture medium. BTI was determined before and 30 days after the elimination of cow milk from the diet. Lymphoblastogenesis, in the samples obtained before elimination from the diet, was significantly increased (BTI decreased) in the HCM group but not in the others (P<0.01). There was no difference in the lymphoblastogenesis behaviour of the 3 groups after 30 days of exclusion of milk from the diet. The difference between the BTI values obtained before and after the elimination of cow milk from the diet would be helpful in the early diagnosis of cow milk allergy.