The role of IgA in the pathogenesis of atopy.

The role of IgA in the pathogenesis of infantile atopic disease was examined to determine whether the presence or absence of IgA in umbilical cord serum at birth could be correlated with the subsequent development of asthma and atopic eczema. Asthma occurred in four of the 50 infants without detectable IgA and in four of the 21 infants with detectable IgA. Atopic eczema occurred in three of the 50 infants without detectable IgA and in none of the 21 infants with detectable IgA. The difference in the incidence of atopic disease in the two groups was not statistically significant. The results of this study suggest that IgA deficiency in early infancy does not play a causal role in the development of atopy.