Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.08.2002, Side 24

ABSTRACTS / 21 ST NORDIC CONGRESS OF ALLERGOLOGY
Specific IgE (DPC, Biermann, Germany) measurements were
positive against horse dander (>100 kU/1), cat and dog dander
(respectively - 2,43 and 5,95 kU/1) and motherwort, birch, alder,
hazel pollens ( all- 0,15 kU/1) were observed. Total serum IgE (
DPC, Biermann, Germany) was 248 kU/1.
Repeated exposition to horse allergen were done when the girl
visited stable, what elicited early asthmatic response, confirmed by
spirometry (25% fall in FEVl after 20 min.)( Jaeger, Germany).
It seems probable that children are especially susceptible to
horse allergens as a factor that may provoke allergic reactions.
Presented case show that it also may cause a life-threatening
situation, and thus it must be taken under consideration by
pediatricians as a risk factor.
P 12 - Effect of elimination diets on the nutrional status
of breastfeeding mothers with food-allergic infants
Ullner PM, Jarvinen KM, Suomalainen HK
Helsinki University Central Hospital, Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Email: PMUllner@aol.com
Objective: Maternal elimination diet is recommended as a part of
management of breastfed infants suffering from food allergies. In
this study, we sought to determine how lactation and furthermore
restriction diets impact nutritional status and bone metabolism of
breastfeeding mothers.
Methods: 25 women were recruited and divided into three groups.
Group 1 included 9 nurturing mothers who had an unrestricted diet
or avoided classical allergens due to having an infant with atopic
dermatitis. Group 2 comprised 8 mothers who strictly avoided
cow's milk (n=4), or cow's milk, wheat, rye, oats and barley (n=4)
due to their babies’ food allergies. Group 3 of 8 age-matched non-
nursing women served as controls. Mothers were advised on
avoidance and substitution of eliminated foods by a nutritionist.
Anthropometric measurements (BMI, skinfold thickness, limb
circumferences), bone density, serum indices of iron, protein and
bone metabolism, and serum trace elements levels were deter-
mined after a minimum of a 2-month-avoidance diet.
Results: Parameters of iron and protein metabolism, trace
elements, anthropometric assessments and bone density were com-
parable in all three groups. However, osteocalcin levels were
significantly elevated in the mothers with the most restricted diet
compared to the control group (p<0.05). Likewise, collagen
peptides i.e. ICTP, PICP, PIIINP were higher in the mothers with
no/minor dietary restrictions than in the control group, and the
highest in those with major restrictions (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Elimination diets did not hazard the nutritional status
of lactating mothers when avoided foods were properly substituted.
Although bone turnover was increased, bone density remained
unaffected.
P 13 - RSV infection in infancy leads to transient
elevation of U-EPX levels
Kristjánsson S\ Pálsdóttir Á2, Pórarinsdóttir H3, Wennergren G4,
Haraldsson Á'
'Landspítali University Hospital, Dpt of Paediatrics, Reykjavík, Iceland;
2Reykjavík Primary Health Care Centre, Dpt of Paediatrics, Reykjavík, Iceland;
'Landspítali University Hospital, Dpt of Paediatrics, Reykjavík, Iceland; 4Queen
Silvia Children's Hospital, Dpt of Pediatrics, Göteborg, Sweden
Email: sig@landspitah.is
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the single leading cause of
respiratory tract infection during infancy. Early childhood RSV
infection has been considered to be a risk factor for developing
bronchial asthma. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is increased in
nasal secretions in children with RSV infection. Eosinophil protein X
in urine (U-EPX) has been found to be increased in children with
atopic asthma. The main purpose of this study was to find out if U-
EPX is increased after RSV infection and if U-EPX levels correlate
to development of repeated wheezing and asthma later on. Seven-
teen children <18 months of age with an RSV infection (mean age
3.3 months), recruited from the emergency room, were enrolled in
the study. RSV infection was confirmed by cell culture and
immunofluorescence of nasal secretions. Urine was sampled before
12.00 a.m. The children were seen 3 weeks, 3 months and 2.5 years
after the RSV infection. Skin Prick Test (SPT) for 10 different
allergens was performed at the last visit and questions were asked
about wheezing and treatment wilh antiasthma drugs, other infec-
tions and use of antibiotics. Healthy children aged 3,6 and 18 months
were included as controls (n=ll, 16 and 23, respectively). U-EPX was
measured using a specific competitive radioimmunoassay (Pharma-
cia & Upjohn, Uppsala, Sweden). At the visit 3 months after the
infection U-EPX levels were significantly increased (p=0.007) in the
RSV group compared to the age matched controls (192 vs. 101
pg/mmol creatinine). Compared to the initial values U-EPX was
slightly elevated (p=0.07) in the RSV group at the 3 months visit (192
vs. 131 pg/mmol creatinine). The percentage of children with 3 or
more episodes of wheezing during the last 12 months was not
statistically different between the RSV group and the 18 months
controls (41% vs. 25%). U-EPX measured at inclusion and after 3
months was not correlated to 3 or more wheezing periods in the RSV
group. No child in the RSV group had a positive SPT. Frequency of
ear inflammation and use of antibiotics was comparable in both
groups. The increased U-EPX values at 3 months after the RSV
infection indicate that the RSV infection causes activation of eosino-
phils and probably leads to a Th2 inflammation in the majority of the
children. However, these effects were not seen at the visit 2.5 years
after the RSV infection and wheezing was not correlated to U-EPX.
P 14 - Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine of serotype
19F induces antibodies in infants and mice that are
cross-protective to serotype 19A in a murine
pneumococcal pneumonia model
Jónsdóttir I', Sigurðsson VD', Sigurðardóttir SÞ', Schulz D2,
Jakobsen H'
'Department of Immunology, Landspítali University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland,
:Aventis Pasteur, Marcy l'Etoile, France
Email: ingileif@landspitali.is
To study whether immunization with pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine containing serotype 19F induces cross-reactive and protec-
tive antibodies to serotype 19A, mice were immunized actively with
a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 19F-TT (19F-TT, Aventis
Pasteur, France), or passively with serum samples obtained from 14-
months old infants vaccinated 4 times with an 11-valent pneumo-
coccal conjugate vaccine (PNC, Aventis Pasteur) containing sero-
type 19F, but not 19A. IgG antibodies to serotypes 19F and 19A in
mouse and infant sera were measured by ELISA. Two weeks after
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