Case study: The effectiveness of a dietary supplement regimen in reducing IgG-mediated food sensitivity in ADHD.

methodology can be used to determine the level of IgG antibodies in serum. Evidence suggests that serum IgG testing may be useful in the early identification of general allergies before IgE antibodies can be detected, although the clinical application of IgG testing remains controversial. The ELISA methodology used to determine food sensitivities generally involves testing for serum levels of IgG-1 and IgG-4, as IgG responses to food antigens are strongest for these two subclasses. The significance of IgG-4 testing as related to IgE levels has been demonstrated in specific food allergies (eg, shrimp, crab). ELISA testing has been performed extensively to determine the relation of IgG to milk allergy in both humans and rats, and one study revealed that human subjects without lactose intolerance who experienced abdominal discomfort after dairy intake had significantly higher IgG reactivity to milk proteins than subjects without abdominal discomfort. Wheat sensitivity, specifically IgG reactivity to gliadin and gluten proteins, has also been studied in humans with or without classic celiac disease, and in rats. Methods to use ELISA IgG testing to diagnosis celiac disease continue to be developed. Although it is generally accepted that non-IgE immunological hypersensitivity to food exists, the clinical relevance of IgG testing in food allergies and intolerances requires further investigation. Opponents argue that the presence of IgG antibodies in non-allergenic patients, as defined by IgE-mediated response testing, is related to regular ingestion of the food. Furthermore, the prevalence of IgG antibodies to milk proteins appears to be influenced by an individual’s age and eating habits, and crossreactivity between related food antigens is common. Women in a study of breast-feeding mothers tended to exhibit specific, independent IgG responses to gliadin, ovalbumin, and β-lactoglobulin. Their IgA levels to the same antigens showed strong inter-antigen correlations, which indicated a lack of specificity for the IgA-class of antibody response. It is not known whether specific IgG antibody titers found in serum reflect oral exposure levels to that antigen and parallel the inflammatory potential of continued ingestion. How much of the IgG-antigen complex must accumulate before it begins saturating the macrophages and influencing pathology is also unknown. It has been documented that when individual antigens are identified and eliminated, clinical Barry W. Ritz, MS, was formerly with Proper Nutrition, Inc., in Reading, Pennsylvania. Richard S. Lord, PhD, is Director of Science and Education at MetaMetrix Clinical Laboratory, Norcross, Georgia. This study was conducted at MetaMetrix Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard S. Lord, PhD. (Altern Ther Health Med. 2005; 11(3):72-75.)