[Total serum IgE values in two different populations of asthmatics with different levels of environmental contamination]. / Valores de IgE sérica total en asmáticos de dos poblaciones con diferentes niveles de contaminación ambiental.

A group of asthmatic patients with an average age between 15 to 50 years were followed at the Allergology Service of Teaching Hospitals from Santa Clara and Sagua la Grande, respectively. For the diagnosis, clinical and espirometric criteria were taken into account; the sample consisted of 100 patients living in Sagua; this part is considered to be a very polluted area, and the same amount of patients from Santa Clara City. The seric figures of total IgE were quantified and a survey was applied to value its relationship with other polluting substances and other clinical and epidemiological aspects of bronchial asthma. The number of patients from Sagua with high levels of IgE was relevant, this could be influenced by the high levels of polluting substances which act as inhaler or irritant substances.