Clinical significance of hyper-IgA in a paediatric laboratory series. Issue 12 (22nd July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Copetti, Valentina; Pastore, Serena; De Pieri, Carlo; Radillo, Oriano; Taddio, Andrea; Ventura, Alessandro; Tommasini, Alberto
• Is Part Of: Archives of disease in childhood. Volume 99:Issue 12(2014)
• Page Start: 1114
• Page End: 1116
• Publication Date: 2014-07-22
• Subjects: General Paediatrics -- Immunology -- Paediatric Practice; Children -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Infants -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.920005
• DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2014-306607
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-9888

Abstract

Abstract : The causes of extremely elevated IgA, whether isolated or associated with an increase in other classes of immunoglobulin, are poorly defined in paediatrics. We reviewed the diagnostic significance of very high IgA levels (greater than 3 SD above the mean for age) in a cohort of patients referred to a tertiary care children's hospital. Hyper-IgA was found in 91 of 6364 subjects (1.4%) and in 68 cases was not associated with an increased IgG and/or IgM level. Most subjects with hyper-IgA (73.5%) had a severe immune defect, a chronic rheumatic disease or inflammatory bowel disease, while these conditions were very rare in a control group with normal IgA values (8%). Although our results may in part reflect the experience of a tertiary care centre, we suggest that hyper-IgA in children should always arouse suspicion of a serious disease.