Predicting asthma severity from allergic sensitivity to cockroaches in pregnant inner city women

To measure and compare cockroach (CR)-specific immunoglobin E (IgE) in sera from pregnant women with mild, moderate and severe asthma.

CR IgE levels were measured in stored sera collected during the Collaborative Perinatal Project. Three matched groups of 93 women were formed: group I (mild), history of asthma but no acute exacerbation; group II (moderate), acute asthma exacerbation; group III (severe), required hospitalization for a diagnosis of status asthmaticus. ANOVA was used to compare the three means.

Mean CR IgE paralleled prenatal asthma severity. Mean values were 6.50, 13.12 and 28.99 kU/L for groups I, II and III, respectively (P = .06). High allergen sensitivity, defined as CR IgE > 60 kU/L, was identified in 8 of the 93 study samples. The prevalence of high allergen sensitivity increased as clinical asthma became more severe. Sixty-two percent (5/8) of the high allergen sensitivity occurred in group III.

There appears to be a positive correlation between sensitivity to CR allergens and asthma severity during pregnancy, and these findings support further evaluation of CR allergen sensitivity as a predictor of asthma severity in pregnancy.