title: Correlation between asthma severity and serum IgE in asthmatic children sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We undertook this study to test the possible correlation between serum concentration of total and specific IgE antibodies and asthma severity in asthmatic children sensitized to the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 157 asthmatic children aged 5-15 years (8 +/- 3 years). Clinical diagnosis was based on personal and family history, physical examination, pulmonary function testing and skin tests. Asthma severity was determined according to GINA guidelines. In vitro tests included serum concentration of total and specific IgE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All asthmatic children had elevated serum concentration of total IgE. The children with elevated serum concentration of total IgE also showed an increased serum concentration of specific IgE. Asthma of higher higher severity was present in patients with total IgE concentration >288.0 kIU/L (AUC = 0.736) and specific IgE to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus >44.1 kIUA/L (AUC = 0.843). Intermittent asthma was present in 76.9% of children with specific IgE concentration <44.1 kIUA/L. The positive predictive value suggested with 79.2% probability that a child with a concentration of specific IgE to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus >44.1 kIUA/L would have a more severe form of asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthmatic children with higher asthma severity have a higher serum concentration of both total IgE (>288.0 kIU/L) and specific IgE to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (>44.1 kIUA/L), respectively.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Srebrnjak, Reference Center for Clinical Pediatric Allergology of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Zagreb, Croatia. kornelija.kovac@zg.htnet.hr
authors.forename: Kornelija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kovac
authors.forename: Slavica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dodig
authors.forename: Dorijan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tjesić-Drinković
authors.forename: Miljenko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D040002:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E