Total and allergen-specific IgE levels in serum reflect blood eosinophilia and fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentrations but not pulmonary functions in allergic asthmatic children sensitized to house dust mites.
Although elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) are considered the hallmark of atopic diseases, their clinical value in evaluating subjects with allergic disorders is under debate. To evaluate possible relationships between serum IgE levels and a variety of clinical parameters, 83 mild asthmatic children [10.98-year-old (2.95)], sensitized to house dust mites (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) or D. farinae (Df), were enrolled. As compared with normal control reference values detected in our laboratory, children with allergic asthma had higher blood eosinophil counts (expressed both as percentage and as absolute number) and higher fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels but similar values in pulmonary function parameters. In the allergic asthmatic population, serum levels of total, Dp-specific or Df-specific IgE correlated positively with eosinophil counts (Rho > or = 0.30, p < 0.01, each correlation) and FeNO levels (Rho > or = 0.33, p < 0.01, each correlation) but not with pulmonary function parameters (p > 0.1, each correlation). Finally, significant correlations, although moderate, were found in the allergic asthmatic population between eosinophil counts and FeNO levels (Rho > or = 0.42, p < 0.001, each correlation). Thus, in atopic children sensitized to HDM with mild intermittent asthma, IgE levels in blood appear to reflect systemic (blood eosinophils) and organ-specific (FeNO) markers of allergic inflammation but not pulmonary volumes or the degree of airflow limitation.
Sacco
Oliviero
O
Pulmonary Unit, G. Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy.
Sale
Rosa
R
Silvestri
Michela
M
Serpero
Laura
L
Sabatini
Federica
F
Raynal
Maria E
ME
Biraghi
Maurizio
M
Rossi
Giovanni A
GA
D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D045853:Exhalation / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000276:immunology*; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
D000485:Allergens; D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D007073:Immunoglobulin E