Hyper-M-immunoglobulinemia in children with bronchial asthma

Radial immunodiffusion was used to measure the concentrations of IgG, IgA, and IgM in the sera of 224 asthmatic children, ages 6 months to 14 years. IgM was greater than two standard deviations above age-matched normal values in 51% of these asthmatic subjects. Immunoglobulin profiles were repeated up to four years later in 29 individuals with elevated IgM and increased IgM synthesis was sustained in 14 of these asthmatic subjects. Serum IgE concentrations were elevated in 23 of 35 asthmatic patients. There was no statistical difference in mean IgE between asthmatic children with normal or increased IgM. The distribution of IgE in each group was similar. Only 10 of 224 subjects had an IgA concentration less than 2 SD below age-matched control subjects. The significance and possible mechanisms of hyper-M-immunoglobulinemia are discussed.