Correlation between asthma severity and serum IgE in asthmatic children sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.
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.
Kovac
Kornelija
K
Children's Hospital Srebrnjak, Reference Center for Clinical Pediatric Allergology of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Zagreb, Croatia. kornelija.kovac@zg.htnet.hr
Dodig
Slavica
S
Tjesić-Drinković
Dorijan
D
Raos
Miljenko
M
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
D007073:Immunoglobulin E