Summary: | Background/Aim. The “hygiene hypothesis” addresses the correlation between
the occurrence of atopy and the frequency of infections in the earliest age,
explaining an increase in the incidence of atopic diseases by living in good,
infection-free, hygienic conditions. The aim of our study was to determine
the conection between atopy and Campylobacter infection, and to analyze the
association between serum concentrations of total IgE and Campylobacter
infection in relation to atopy in children up to two years. Methods. A case
control study was conducted with the sample of 98 infants of the average age
of 8 months. Total serum IgE and Phadiatop infant multi-test were determined
on Immunocap-100 (Phadia AB, Uppsala, Sweden). The presence of atopy was
determined by detection of serumspecific IgE ≥ 0.35 kUA/L (Phadiatop infant
positive) and serum IgM, IgA, IgG levels against C. jejuni were determined by
a quantitative immuno-enzyme test - SERION ELISA classic. Results. Total IgE
cut-off values ≥ 15 kU/L point to atopy in infants, and tIgE cut-off values ≥
8.1 kU/L pointed to a C. jejuni infection in infants. Within the group of
atopic children, tIgE levels ≥ 29.8 kU/L point to C. jejuni infection, and
within the group of non-atopic children, tIgE levels ≥ 5.9 kU/L point to
infection. Enteritis is not a predictor of C. jejuni infection, because of a
high frequency of asymptomatic cases of infection. The risk factors for C.
jejuni infection are age and tIgE, and the protective factors are
breastfeeding and atopy. Conclusion. C. jejuni infection increases the total
serum IgE level, which is predictive of infection, regardless of the presence
of atopy. The presence of symptomatic C. jejuni infection reduces the risk of
atopy in a child of the age of 5-24 months by the factor of 10.
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