Detection of serum food specific antibodies of 6 common foods in patients with IgA nephropathy / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between the major allergens of 6 common allergic foods and IgA nephropathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A sensitive sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of food-specific IgA1, IgG and IgE in 31 patients with IgA nephropathy and 80 healthy volunteers. All the patients were examined for a history of food allergy using a questionnaire.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum levels of IgA1 and IgG against the major allergens of the 6 common allergic foods were significantly higher in patients with IgA nephropathy than in healthy volunteers (P<0.05). There was no detectable food-specific IgE antibodies in the two groups. No patients had a clear history of food allergy. All the patients with increased IgG levels specific to 4 or more foods simultaneously had proteinuria.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Some foods especially the highly allergic ones may participate in the pathogenesis and progression of IgA nephropathy.</p>