In this study we aimed to assess whether the association between asthma (defined by symptoms and bronchial responsiveness) and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels was independent of specific IgE levels to common aeroallergens. A general population-based sample, supplemented with symptomatic individuals, comprising 1,916 young adults, aged 20-44 years, from five areas of Spain, performed a face-to-face respiratory questionnaire, and spirometry, and had total and specific serum IgE levels to mites, pets and moulds recorded. In 1,626 of the subjects, a dose-response methacholine challenge test was completed. Subjects reporting current attacks of asthma showed an association with total IgE (odds ratio (OR) for IgE > 100 kU.L-1 = 4.73, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) = 2.01-11.12, adjusted for specific IgE, sex, age, smoking, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and area), which did not vary by bronchial responsiveness. The association between total IgE and asthma also occurred among those with negative specific IgE antibodies (OR 18.0; 95% CI 13.9-120). Individuals with current wheezing and bronchial responsiveness without attacks of asthma also showed an adjusted association with total IgE (OR 4.96; 95% CI 2.32-10.6), which remained for persons without specific IgE (OR 5.86; 95% CI 2.18-1.7). These findings reinforce previous evidence that asthma is associated with increased levels of total IgE, even in subjects negative for specific IgE to common aeroallergens.

https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/erj/9/9/1880.full.pdf

Total serum IgE is associated with asthma independently of specific IgE levels. The Spanish Group of the European Study of Asthma

Psychosocial Aspects of Severe Asthma in Children

Mite allergens and asthma

The objective of this study was to determine whether total serum IgE levels are elevated in workers with trimellitic anhydride-induced asthma as compared with anhydride-exposed workers without an occupational immunologic syndrome. Sera from 12 highly exposed workers with trimellitic anhydride-induced asthma, and from 31 similarly exposed workers without occupational immunologic disease, were assayed for total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels by Total IgE II FAST analysis. The mean total IgE levels were 176. 74 ng/mL and 34.55 ng/mL respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant, but considerable overlap of IgE levels between groups was seen. In conclusion, although mean total IgE levels are significantly different between TMA-exposed workers with or without occupational asthma, the significant amount of overlap and poor sensitivity of the test preclude the use of this assay in the individual evaluation of these workers.

Total serum IgE in trimellitic anhydride-induced asthma.

Although cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been previously studied as risking infection and inflammatory responses, few studies evaluate the relationship of preoperative high total immunoglobulin E (tIgE) to outcomes in pediatric patients predisposed to atopy undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB. Serum tIgE, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-4, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and T-helper type 1/2 (Th1/Th2) ratio were quantified in 104 pediatric patients who underwent surgical repair with CPB. Blood samples were obtained: before operation (T1), at the beginning (T2), and before the completion of CPB (T3), after protamine administration (T4), 4 h after CPB (T5), and on postoperative days 1 and 2 (T6, T7). Data on clinical outcomes were collected prospectively. Compared to 50 cases with normal tIgE, 54 cases with high tIgE were found to have higher TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-4 affected by CPB on the specific timepoints (pTNF-α <  0.001; pIL-10 = 0.035; pIL-4 = 0.001). TIgE levels shifted transiently towards Th2, which may be caused by high tIgE specific to T4. This resulted in the correlation between prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation (IL-4: r = 0.426, p = 0.015; Th1/Th2: r = −0.272, p = 0.043) in patients with high tIgE. A high preoperative tIgE level predisposes patients to an aggravated Th2 shift after protamine administration during CPB in association with increased risk of prolonged mechanical ventilation and medical intervention.

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Fd. Martinez

Papers

Asthma and serum levels of IgE ( Letter )