TY - JOUR
T1 - Specific IgE serum concentration is associated with symptom severity in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis
AU - Rolinck-Werninghaus, C.
AU - Keil, T.
AU - Kopp, M.
AU - Zielen, S.
AU - Schauer, U.
AU - Von Berg, A.
AU - Wahn, U.
AU - Hamelmann, E.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - Background: The impact of allergen-specific and total IgE serum levels before and during the pollen season on symptom severity as well as efficacy of treatment with anti-IgE requires further delineation. Methods: Birch and grass pollen allergic patients aged 6-17 years with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) were analyzed for the association of IgE serum concentration with symptom severity and rescue medication use (combination: symptom load, SL) during the grass pollen season. Reference group A (n = 53) received placebo, while group B (n = 54) received Omalizumab (anti-IgE) monotherapy before and during the grass pollen season. Results: Patients on placebo with high baseline specific grass pollen IgE (>50 kU/l) had a significantly higher SL compared with those with low IgE levels (≤50 kU/l): SL 1.28 vs 0.61, P = 0.015. This association was nonexistent in patients treated with anti-IgE. In contrast, baseline total IgE levels did not correlate with SL in any group. Patients with anti-IgE treatment and high free total IgE levels (>16.7 ng/ml) had a significantly higher SL compared with those with low free total IgE levels (≤16.7 ng/ml): SL 0.63 vs 0.23, P = 0.031. Conclusions: Baseline specific IgE, but not total IgE, is associated with symptom severity during the pollen season in children with SAR. Likewise, the symptom load in SAR patients with anti-IgE correlates with free total IgE levels. Although further research in larger populations is needed to confirm our findings, our data suggest that specific IgE can be used as a parameter for patient selection for this kind of treatment.
AB - Background: The impact of allergen-specific and total IgE serum levels before and during the pollen season on symptom severity as well as efficacy of treatment with anti-IgE requires further delineation. Methods: Birch and grass pollen allergic patients aged 6-17 years with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) were analyzed for the association of IgE serum concentration with symptom severity and rescue medication use (combination: symptom load, SL) during the grass pollen season. Reference group A (n = 53) received placebo, while group B (n = 54) received Omalizumab (anti-IgE) monotherapy before and during the grass pollen season. Results: Patients on placebo with high baseline specific grass pollen IgE (>50 kU/l) had a significantly higher SL compared with those with low IgE levels (≤50 kU/l): SL 1.28 vs 0.61, P = 0.015. This association was nonexistent in patients treated with anti-IgE. In contrast, baseline total IgE levels did not correlate with SL in any group. Patients with anti-IgE treatment and high free total IgE levels (>16.7 ng/ml) had a significantly higher SL compared with those with low free total IgE levels (≤16.7 ng/ml): SL 0.63 vs 0.23, P = 0.031. Conclusions: Baseline specific IgE, but not total IgE, is associated with symptom severity during the pollen season in children with SAR. Likewise, the symptom load in SAR patients with anti-IgE correlates with free total IgE levels. Although further research in larger populations is needed to confirm our findings, our data suggest that specific IgE can be used as a parameter for patient selection for this kind of treatment.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=51549105764&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01692.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01692.x
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 18782113
AN - SCOPUS:51549105764
SN - 0105-4538
VL - 63
SP - 1339
EP - 1344
JO - Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
JF - Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
IS - 10
ER -