Incidence of atopy in rheumatic disease

The incidence of hay fever, positive skin tests to grass pollen and specific IgG and IgE antibodies to a pollen allergen was found to be the same in a group of 40 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis as that expected in a normal population. The geometric mean total serum IgE of this group was also normal. In sera from patients with adult rheumatoid arthritis the incidence of IgG an IgE antibodies to pollen appeared to be low and the geometric mean total IgE was also low.