title: IgE antibodies to house dust mite in patients with scabies.
abstract: Of 135 patients with scabies, forty-seven (35%) had a positive (Classes 1--4) radioallergosorbent test (RAST) to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP). Elevated serum IgE concentrations were found in sixty-one (45%) of the patients. Atopic disease was confirmed in twenty-eight (23%) of the 120 patients who completed a medical questionnaire satisfactorily. In a control group, well-matched for age and sex, of 201 employees at a local bank, only four (2%) had a positive RAST to DP, and eight (4%) had raised serum IgE levels. Atopic disease was confirmed in eighteen (9%) of them. These observations indicate that scabies infection stimulates the production of IgE antibodies, even in non-atopic individuals, and may suggest that IgE antibodies against the human pathogenic mite Sarcoptes scabiei cross-react with DP. Scabies infection in addition often seems to be associated with atopic disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004391:Dust; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology*; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D012532:Scabies / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D007073:Immunoglobulin E