Increased Serum Antibody Levels Against Cow's Milk Proteins in Children With Chronic Liver Disease

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Abstract
We measured IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies to cow's milk proteins: α–casein, α–lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, β–lactoglobulin–a and β–lactoglobulin–b in the sera of 29 pediatric patients with liver disease. IgG antibodies to bovine serum albumin, β–lactoglobulin–a and β–lactoglobulin–b and IgA antibodies to α–casein were elevated in most of the patients compared to age–matched controls. We postulate that, in patients with liver disease either increased intestinal uptake resulting in increased humoral response, or decreased hepatic clearance of food antigens intensifying a humoral response to these foreign antigens, may occur.