IgE anti-respiratory syncytial virus antibodies detected in serum of pediatric patients with asthma

Abstract Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children, and is a public health concern, as is the increase in pediatric asthma. Respiratory viral infections may trigger asthma exacerbations. However, it remains unknown whether RSV infection may have a specific association with asthma. Total serum IgE, and IgE- and IgG-anti-RSV Ab responses were studied in older asthmatic compared with non-asthmatic children (M/F, mean age: 14) ( N  = 30, N  = 43, respectively). We found: (1) total serum IgE was higher in asthmatic compared with non-asthmatics ( P  P  0.001), and with IgG anti-RSV Abs ( P  = 0.008) in all subjects; (3) total serum IgE levels did correlate with IgE anti-RSV in asthmatics ( P  = 0.047), but not in non-asthmatics ( P  = 0.13); (4) IgE anti-RSV Abs did correlate with IgG anti-RSV Abs in all subjects ( P  = 0.001); (5) IgE- and IgG-anti RSV Abs were higher in asthma compared with no asthma ( P  = 0.003; P  = 0.008), but not in asthma ( P  = 0.64). Our findings indicate that IgE-anti-RSV Ab responses may play important roles in RSV infection and asthma.