[Three cases with high TARC levels of gastrointestinal food allergies in neonates and infants].
We measured serum TARC (Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine, CCL-17) levels in three patients of gastrointestinal food allergies in neonates and infants. Patient 1: 14-day-old girl. The chief complaints were poor feeding and weight loss. She tested peripheral eosinophilia (5820 /μL), high serum TARC levels (4730 pg/mL) and positive milk-specific IgE (1.53 UA/mL) at the time of onset. After change from cow' milk formula to hydrolyzed infant formulas and breast milk ahead of dairy products intake, the symptoms resolved. One month and a half later, she re-tested negative milk-specific IgE and normal serum TARC levels (198 pg/mL). Patient 2: 3-month-old girl. The chief complaint was vomiting after intake of cow' milk formula. She tested negative milk-specific IgE and very high serum TARC levels (25200 pg/mL) at the time of onset. After changing to hydrolyzed infant formulas and breast milk ahead of dairy products intake, the symptom resolved. Three months later, she re-tested positive milk-specific IgE (0.42 UA/mL) and normal serum TARC levels (1250 pg/mL). Patient 3: 21-day-old boy. The chief complaint was vomiting after intake of cow' milk formula. He tested peripheral eosinophilia (2923 /μL), very high serum TARC levels (49100 pg/mL) and positive milk-specific IgE (0.47 UA/mL) at the time of onset. After changing to hydrolyzed infant formulas and breast milk ahead of dairy products intake, the symptom resolved. Two weeks later, he re-tested negative milk-specific IgE and serum TARC levels (2210 pg/mL). Serum TARC may be related to the part of gastrointestinal food allergies in neonates and infants.