title: Correlation of immunoglobulin E, eosinophil cationic protein, and eosinophil count with the severity of childhood perennial allergic rhinitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Elevated levels of serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), serum allergen-specific IgE, serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), blood eosinophil count and nasal eosinophil count are considered to be associated with allergic rhinitis (AR), but the relationships between these allergic inflammatory markers and the clinical severity of AR remain controversial. This study aimed to clarify these relationships.
  
  
  METHODS
  186 children aged 2 to 12 years old were selected, including 160 with perennial AR (PAR) and 26 with non-AR as controls. The total nasal symptom score was calculated for each patient from a questionnaire and correlated with data on serum total IgE, serum allergen-specific IgE, serum ECP, and eosinophil count in blood and nasal smear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of all allergic inflammatory markers in children with PAR were significantly different from those in non-allergic children, except for serum ECP. All of the markers were related to the severity of PAR in bivariate correlation analysis. On multiple linear regression analysis, however, only nasal eosinophil count (p<0.001) and serum allergen-specific IgE (p=0.005) were independent predictors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that nasal eosinophil count, an organ-specific allergic inflammatory marker, and serum allergen-specific IgE, a systemic allergic inflammatory marker, are correlated with the severity of PAR in children.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy, Asthma and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shuei Tu
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hai Lun
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ko Hsiu
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ko Huang
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lue
authors.forename: Ming Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D047150:Eosinophil Cationic Protein