THE SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN E LEVEL REFLECTS THE SEVERITY OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Bronchial asthma is a major public health concern affecting 100-150 million people worldwide. Elevated total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) is considered as an objective marker of allergy and has been associated with a number of respiratory disorders. The present study tests the hypothesis that serum IgE levels reflect the severity of asthma. The serum IgE levels were investigated in 132 asthma patients and their severities of asthma were determined by pulmonary function tests. Serum IgE levels were also compared with the severity of asthma by history. The data indicated that 27% patients developed symptoms of bronchial asthma before 30 years of age; 17% patients between 31 to 45 years and only 5% patients developed asthmatic symptoms after the age of 45 years. Serum IgE levels significantly increased in all groups of asthma when compared to control subjects (p<0.001). The IgE levels were proportionately higher in patients with more severe airflow obstruction. The present study suggests that the serum IgE level may reflect the severity of bronchial asthma assessed by pulmonary function tests and clinical history.