title: Raised serum IgE levels in chronic inflammatory lung diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the serum IgE response in nonallergic subjects with chronic inflammatory lung diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty six patients with bronchiectasis, five with pulmonary mycosis referred from all over India and 30 healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum IgE value (determined by radioimmuno assay) above the upper limit of normal control range (136 to 948 iu/ml) was considered as raised level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 26 patients with bronchiectasis 13 had pyogenic infections, six had pulmonary tuberculosis; in six patients sputum culture was sterile while another patient had herpes zoster. Five cases of mycosis included one each of actinomycosis, aspergillosis, blastomycosis, cryptococcosis and nocardiasis. The serum IgE levels were raised in 20 (65%) of the 31 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Associated bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections were probably responsible for inducing an hyper-IgE response in these non-allergic subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Date
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Jairaj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001987:Bronchiectasis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E