[Allergologic investigation of asthma in infants. Apropos of 153 cases of infants aged 5 to 36 months]. / Enquête allergologique dans l'asthme du nourrisson. A propos de 153 observations de nourrissons de 5 à 36 mois.

153 asthmatic children from 5 to 36 months (mean age: 26 months) were investigated. The aim of the study was twofold: 1) to determine the reliability and limits of an allergologic diagnosis before 36 months of age; 2) to compare the predictive value of skin-tests with other allergologic tests. Results were expressed according to a score involving 5 parameters derived from the allergologic investigation. Each parameter represented one point: atopic past history, increased level of total IgE antibodies related to the age, presence of blood specific IgE antibodies, blood hypereosinophilia. Infants were considered allergic if their score level was greater than or equal to 3. Concordance between this score level and each parameter was as follows: Positive skin-test 83%; Blood hypereosinophilia 82%; Presence of specific IgE antibodies 80%; Increased level of total IgE 78%; Familial history of atopy 54%. It is concluded that, in allergic infants, a significative link exists between positive skin-test plus the presence of specific IgE antibodies and an atopic disease. However, more children have to be enrolled in a multivariant analysis to assess definitively the predictive value to this score.