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Raised serum IgE levels in chronic inflammatory lung diseases
Insights
In nonallergic individuals with chronic lung diseases, elevated serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were observed. Infections, including bacterial and fungal, likely triggered this hyper-IgE response.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pulmonology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Chronic inflammatory lung diseases can affect immune responses.
- Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a key marker in allergic reactions.
- Understanding IgE in nonallergic lung conditions is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum IgE levels in nonallergic patients with chronic inflammatory lung diseases.
- To correlate IgE levels with specific infections in these patients.
Main Methods:
- Study conducted at Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore.
- Included 26 patients with bronchiectasis and 5 with pulmonary mycosis, alongside 30 healthy controls.
- Serum IgE quantified by radioimmunoassay; raised levels defined as >948 IU/mL.
Main Results:
- Elevated serum IgE was found in 65% (20/31) of patients.
- Bronchiectasis patients had various infections: pyogenic (13), tuberculosis (6), sterile sputum (6), herpes zoster (1).
- Pulmonary mycosis cases included actinomycosis, aspergillosis, blastomycosis, cryptococcosis, and nocardiasis.
Conclusions:
- Nonallergic subjects with chronic lung diseases can exhibit hyper-IgE.
- Bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections are probable triggers for this elevated IgE response.
Objective:
To study the serum IgE response in nonallergic subjects with chronic inflammatory lung diseases.
Setting:
Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore.
Subjects:
Twenty six patients with bronchiectasis, five with pulmonary mycosis referred from all over India and 30 healthy subjects.
Main Outcome Measures:
Serum IgE value (determined by radioimmuno assay) above the upper limit of normal control range (136 to 948 iu/ml) was considered as raised level.
Results:
Of the 26 patients with bronchiectasis 13 had pyogenic infections, six had pulmonary tuberculosis; in six patients sputum culture was sterile while another patient had herpes zoster. Five cases of mycosis included one each of actinomycosis, aspergillosis, blastomycosis, cryptococcosis and nocardiasis. The serum IgE levels were raised in 20 (65%) of the 31 patients.
Conclusion:
Associated bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections were probably responsible for inducing an hyper-IgE response in these non-allergic subjects.