Assessment of serum IgE levels in patients of allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the variation of IgE levels with various age & sex groups. To determine the utility of total serum IgE and eosinophil count in the diagnosis of Allergic rhinitis. Background: Immunoglobulin E is widely recognized as the major molecular component of atopy and the allergic reaction starts when IgE binds to mast cells. This leads primarily to the release of various mediators (histamine, leukotrienes and prostaglandin) and to the production and release of cytokines from these cells. The action of these mediators on down stream targets leads to the clinical allergic symptoms and the action of the cytokines to allergic inflammation. Methods: A total of 60 rhinitis patients who reported at the Allergy clinic from June 2014 to March 2015 were included in this study. The symptomatic criteria for allergic rhinitis include, mainly paroxysmal sneezing, watery rhinorrhoea and lacrimation. After clinical evaluation Pts who had rhinitis were subjected to IgE level study. Result: All patients were arranged in six groups according to different age. Female patients were found to form a majority of our study. Patient group that suffered allergic rhinitis are highest with IgE level < 380 IU/ml i.e 62% followed by IgE level 381 - 450 IU/ml who were12%, and least were 3% who had IgE levels 651 -750 IU/ml. Conclusion: The predominant symptoms associated with Allergic Rhinitis are sneezing (90%), rhinorrhea (75%) and nasal congestion (48%). The Mean Age of individuals is 33.12 years. Elevated total IgE can be included as a diagnostic criterion for allergic rhinitis .In general, adults and children with allergic rhinitis have been found to have higher total serum IgE concentrations as compared to non-atopic individuals. The IgE levels are elevated in more than 90% of patients with sneezing as the predominant symptom .The IgE values are higher in patients with symptoms of sneeze plus wheeze as compared to those with sneeze alone. Eosinophil counts are consistently higher in the allergic population and they are not influenced by gender, the presence of asthma, or of smoking IgE levels greater than 140 IU/ml and eosinophil counts greater than 80 cells/ml are suggestive of an atopic aetiology for patients with signs and symptoms of rhinitis

Keywords

• Allergic Rhinitis
• IgE Levels
• Eosinophil Count