Effect of active tuberculosis on skin prick allergy tests and serum IgE levels.
OBJECTIVE
Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been shown to suppress allergic airway disease driven by type 2 helper T cells in animal models. In this study, we investigated the effect of active tuberculosis on skin prick test (SPT) positivity and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels of atopic patients with and without tuberculosis infection.


METHODS
Seventeen atopic HIV-negative men with pulmonary tuberculosis and 18 atopic healthy male controls at our military hospital were studied prospectively between March 2005 and March 2006. The sums of all SPT positive tests and positivity to house dust mite alone were calculated before initiation of treatment and after 6 months. Measurement of total serum IgE levels was also performed at the same moments.


RESULTS
The mean (SD) initial serum total IgE concentrations were significantly higher in the tuberculosis patients than in the healthy controls (324.1 [317.67] U/mL vs. 146.7 [75.29] U/mL, respectively; P < .05), The total serum IgE concentrations after 6 months of treatment were also higher in the patients than in the controls. The mean sum of SPT positivity was higher in the tuberculosis patients than in the controls at both testing times.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study does not support the hypothesis that M tuberculosis suppresses atopy and atopic disorders, but large, prospective experimental studies are needed before excluding the possibility of a relationship.
Kutlu
A
A
Department of Allergy, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Haydarpasa Teaching Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. kotiloglu@hotmail.com
Bozkanat
E
E
Ciftçi
Fi
F
Bozkurt
B
B
Gorur
R
R
Ardiç
N
N
Taskapan
O
O
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
D007073:Immunoglobulin E