AllergyPeople with high levels of folate, or folic acid in blood are reduced risk of allergic reaction or wheezing, concluded a team of doctors. According to experts said the School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University in a breakthrough in Internet Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, who have a high amount of folic acid in blood tend to have lower levels of IgE antibodies, the body produces in response to allergic disease.

The reduction of folic acid is associated with a variety of inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore it is possible that folate mitigate, rather than promote, allergic diseases, which are also inflammatory in origin.

The study included data from 8083 people aged 2 and over 85 years (38 on average) who had participated in the National Survey of Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006. All of them had measured the blood folate levels of total IgE and IgE antibodies to dust mite, cat, dog, cockroach and Alternaria, a type of rust fungus.

A high total IgE level should exceed 100 kU L. Allergic sensitization was defined as at least one value to an allergen specific IgE of 0.35 kU/L or more. The probability of having a high total level of IgE, an allergic response and wheezing during the previous year decreased as they increased blood folate levels, which ranged between 0.7 and 171 ng/mL.

After controlling for sociodemographic factors, the potential for high total IgE levels, allergic responses and wheezing were between 0.60 and 0.70 for the highest quintile of folate in blood, compared with the lowest quintile.

The team recommended further studies to define the relationship between blood folate levels, allergy and asthma, as well as to determine whether these associations cause allergy or wheezing, or if they occur by other mechanisms.

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