Allergic sensitization in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
To study whether allergic sensitization occurs in elderly patients with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD), we examined serum IgE and skin test reactivity to allergens in three age-matched groups of normal subjects, and in patients with COPD and bronchial asthma (BA). Serum IgE was significantly higher in patients with COPD and BA than in normal subjects (p less than 0.05), and patients with COPD showed serum IgE levels as high as those of patients with BA. However, the skin test scores were significantly higher in patients with BA than in normal subjects and patients with COPD (p less than 0.05). Neither serum IgE nor skin test score significantly correlated with FEV1%, PaO2, PaCO2 or Brinkman's Index in any group (p greater than 0.20). These results suggest that allergic sensitization occurs in elderly patients with COPD and that symptoms associated with COPD may be partly due to allergic inflammation.
Itabashi
S
S
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Fukushima
T
T
Aikawa
T
T
Yanai
M
M
Sekizawa
K
K
Sasaki
H
H
Takishima
T
T
D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000276:immunology; D014797:Vital Capacity
D007073:Immunoglobulin E