Relationship between serum total IgE and disease severity in patients with allergic asthma in Spain

Objectives: to evaluate the association between serum total ige levels and disease severity in adult patients with persistent allergic asthma and to explore the main predictors of ige levels. methods: we performed a multicenter,retrospective,observational study including adult patients diagnosed ≥1 year previously with persistent allergic asthma who were positive to ≥1 allergen. patients also had serum total ige and spirometry results available from the previous 12 months. inclusion was stratified by asthma severity according to the gema 2009 criteria. results: we included 383 patients with allergic asthma (129 mild,82 moderate,and 172 severe). mean (sd) age was 38 (15),46 (16),and 45 (15) years,respectively (p<0.001). serum total ige levels varied markedly (coefficient of variation,147%). no association was observed with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (fev1) or asthma severity: mean (sd)/median (iqr) of 403 (616)/214 (108-409),361 (516)/204 (126-361),and 473 (676)/211 (98-545) iu/ml in the mild,moderate,and severe subgroups,respectively (p=.951). the severe subgroup had a higher percentage of patients with >400 iu/ml (36% vs 26.4% [mild] and 18.3% [moderate],p=.010). in a multivariate multiple regression model,the independent predictors of higher ige were younger age (p=.004),sensitization to ≥2 allergens (p=.009),male gender (p=.025),and family history of asthma (p=.122). conclusion: serum total ige levels in adult patients with persistent allergic asthma were high (two-thirds with levels >150 iu/ml) and extremely variable. we did not find a significant association between serum total ige levels and asthma severity or airflow limitation,except for a higher percentage of patients with ige >400 iu/ml in the severe subgroup. © 2015 esmon publicidad.