Chronic sinopulmonary inflammatory diseases in adults with undetectable serum IgE in inner-city Chicago: a preliminary observation.
BACKGROUND
The association between undetectable serum total IgE level and chronic upper and lower respiratory tract inflammatory diseases is uncertain. We sought to determine whether chronic sinopulmonary inflammatory diseases are present in adult patients with undetectable serum total IgE who reside in inner-city Chicago, IL, USA.


METHODS
Medical records of patients aged ≥18 years with reported serum total IgE levels <2 and ≥2,000 kU/L who were diagnosed with rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma, and COPD at the University of Illinois Medical Center and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, between 2005 and 2009 were reviewed.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients with serum total IgE <2 kU/L and 17 patients with serum total IgE ≥2,000 kU/L, were identified. Ten of 17 patients (59%) with serum total IgE <2 kU/L were diagnosed with chronic sinopulmonary inflammatory diseases, three with chronic rhinosinusitis, four with asthma, one with asthma/COPD, and two with COPD. Twelve of 17 patients (71%) with serum total IgE ≥2,000 kU/L were diagnosed with chronic sinopulmonary inflammatory diseases, three with allergic rhinitis, four with asthma, four with asthma/COPD, and one with COPD. None of the patients reported recurrent sinopulmonary infections. The difference in the number of patients with chronic sinopulmonary inflammatory diseases between both groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.48).


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic rhinosinusitis and asthma are present in adult patients with undetectable serum total IgE who reside in inner-city Chicago. Whether this represents a biomarker of distinct chronic rhinosinusitis and asthma phenotypes in this population remains to be determined.
Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine (M/C 719), Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Funlola
F
Famuyiwa
Israel
I
Rubinstein
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D002641:Chicago; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000097:blood*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000097:blood*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
D007073:Immunoglobulin E