Blood Test Detects Allergy Risk for Newborns

A simple blood test can predict whether newborn babies are at high risk of developing allergies, as they grow older.

Amounts of the cell signaling protein, called protein kinase C zeta, are much lower in children at risk of allergies. The test measures the amount of the protein in immune cells; it is far more effective than previous indicators, such as a family's clinical history, or levels of the allergy-inducing antibody IgE.

Prof. Tony Ferrante, an immunologist from South Australian Pathology and the Children's Research Centre at the University of Adelaide (Australia) said that the new marker might be the most significant breakthrough in allergy testing for some decades.

In collaboration with Prof. Susan Prescott from the University of Western Australia (Perth, Australia) and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (Perth, Australia) Prof. Ferrante's team refined the new marker for allergy risk to a simple and manageable blood test at birth.

The investigators are also studying whether fish oil supplements given to both pregnant women and those who have just given birth can reduce the risks of the children developing allergies. "There is evidence that the levels of this important protein increase with fish oil supplementation to protect against allergy development," Prof. Ferrante said.

Australia has one of the highest allergy rates in the world, with 40% of children now suffering from allergic diseases, including food allergies, eczema, asthma, and hay fever. These conditions frequently persist into adulthood, placing a heavy burden on the healthcare system.

Related Links:
University of Adelaide
University of Western Australia
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children