Atopic dermatitis and IgE. Relationship between changes in IgE levels and severity of disease.

At the Mayo Clinic, atopic dermatitis was evaluated in a series of 28 patients to determine whether, during the course of the disease, serum IgE levels fluctuated with changes in the severity of dermatitis. The study covered a 1- to 11/2-year follow-up period. Previously, it had been shown that, at initial examination, serum IgE levels were positively related to the extent of disease. Although notable fluctuations in serum IgE levels and in extent of dermatitis were seen in more than half of the cases, no relationship was found between the two factors during the period of study.