ABSTRACT
Serum IgE levels were higher in males than in females. The number of positive RAST results peaked in April and November. Timothy grass, birch, cat and dog epithelia and horse dander, house dust, egg and peanut showed a seasonal variation. There was a difference in allergenic specificity between men and women.
Subject(s)
Allergens/immunology , Hypersensitivity, Immediate/immunology , Immunoglobulin E/analysis , Seasons , Antibody Specificity , Female , Humans , Male , Radioallergosorbent Test , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
Serum levels of total and allergen specific IgE were estimated in 75 adult asthmatics. The total IgE results were found to be distributed in a log-normal fashion with a mean of 124.0 U/ml and 28% were above the upper limit of the normal range. The total IgE was related to the RAST number in a log-normal manner. Up to eight RAST discs could be positive in a patient with a normal total IgE and an elevated IgE could occur with no discs positive. There was also a log-normal relationship between total IgE and the RAST score with little change in score per disc with rise in total IgE. The data suggest that the more allergic individual reacts to more allergens rather than more strongly to a few allergens.
Subject(s)
Allergens/analysis , Asthma/immunology , Epitopes , Immunoglobulin E/analysis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Asthma/classification , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Radioallergosorbent Test , Skin TestsABSTRACT
We studied 72 adult asthmatics prospectively for the purpose of detecting atopy by the use of screening methods employing total serum IgE, RAST and prick tests. Fifty-one of the patients were considered to be atopic on the basis of prick test reactivity or a positive RAST. Although the total IgE values of the atopic and nonatopic individuals demonstrated some overlap, values over 150 U/mL were found only in atopics. We determined that 89% of the atopic individuals could be detected by a combination of total IgE greater than 150 U/mL and the use of five specific IgE determinations from the frequency of positive RAST to 20 environmental antigens. Ninety percent of the atopics were detected by four prick tests. Regional data are required to develop and effective set of screening tests. The use of such tests can reduce costs and technical time in the investigation of atopy.
