Specific immunoglobulins E to food allergens content in children with mercury contamination

Introduction. Exposure to inorganic mercury salts contributes to immune system dysfunction and may lead to the development of allergic diseases in children.

Objective. To determine the level of sensitization to food allergens in children living in the ecological trouble territory.

Materials and methods. A total of one hundred ninety one child aged 11 to 16 years were examined: Group 1 consisted of individuals with mercury excretion, while Group 2 (comparison) consisted of individuals without it. Total and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were determined in all children. Results were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test, and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Analysis of the relationship between specific IgE concentration and mercury excretion was performed using multiple nonlinear regression with a direct stepwise procedure for incorporating features.

Results. In the children group without elevated total IgE levels, the values for all studied specific immunoglobulins did not differ statistically significantly between the groups. With an elevated concentration of total IgE in children with mercury excretion, the specific IgE content to the cow’s milk antigen was statistically significantly higher than in the comparison group. Children from group 1 with an elevated total IgE level were characterized by a higher frequency of high concentrations of specific IgE to the chicken egg protein antigen (OR = 1.67; 95% CI (1.02–10.59)) and milk (OR = 1.29; 95% CI (1.09–13.30)), as well as the presence of a statistically significant relationship between the elevated specific IgE concentration to mixed poultry meat antigens and mercury contamination.

Limitations. Children aged from 11 to 16 years, whose parents and they themselves permanently resided in Usolye-Sibirskoye and the surrounding area.

Conclusion. Children living in areas with accumulated environmental damage and excreting mercury exhibited higher levels of sensitization to antigens from chicken egg whites, milk, and mixed poultry meat.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study was conducted in compliance with the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration (last revised). Conclusion of the local ethical committee of the East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research No. 1 dated December 21, 2023. Parents and/or legal representatives of minor children signed voluntary informed consent for the examination.

Contribution:
Kudaeva I.V. – the concept and design of the study, editing, statistical processing, writing text;
Starkova A.S., Prokhorova P.G. – collection and processing of material;
Kucherova N.G. – collection and processing of material, statistical processing.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Acknowledgment. The authors express their gratitude to I.V. Mylnikova, senior researcher at the Laboratory of environmental and hygienic research, for her assistance in organizing the examination of children, and to O.V. Bukshina, research assistant at the Laboratory of analytical ecotoxicology and biomonitoring, for conducting research on determining mercury in urine.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Funding. The study had no funding and was performed within the framework of the funds allocated for exploratory scientific research of East-Siberian Institute of Medical and Ecological Research.

Received: October 31, 2025 / Revised: November 17, 2025 / Accepted: December 2, 2025 / Published: January 15, 2026

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