INTESTINAL UPTAKE OF OVALBUMIN IN MALABSORPTION AND FOOD ALLERGY IN RELATION TO SERUM IGG ANTIBODY AND ORALLY-ADMINISTERED SODIUM CROMOGLYCATE

Children (42) with malabsorption disorders, 1/3 of whom were considered to have an atopic constitution, were given ovalbumin (OA) orally and the serum concentrations were determined by RIA [radioimmunoassay] technique after 2 and 8 h. Most patients showed peak concentrations 2 h after OA administration but the concentrations varied widely. The determinations were influenced by antibodies directed against OA. The serum levels of Ig[immunoglobulin]G-antibodies to OA, as estimated by a Sepharose protein-A technique, decreased significantly after OA administration, possibly indicating the formation of immune complexes. High antibody levels were found in children with celiac disease and in children who had an atopic constitution. A moderate OA serum concentration in such cases may be an effect of blocking antibodies and does not exclude the possibility of an increased absorption. OA uptake was also studied in 6 patients with food allergy before and after sodium cromoglycate [SCG] treatment. A beneficial effect on symptoms at the challenge and a decreased OA serum concentration after sodium cromoglycate treatment were found (0.05 < P < 0.1). The view that SCG affects the absorption of food antigens was supported. The OA-absorption test, including estimations of OA and OA antibodies, is a useful model for studies of immunological mechanisms involved in food allergy and gastrointestinal disorders.