Serum IgE levels in normal subjects and allergy patients among the Chinese in Singapore.

Serum IgE was determined in four groups of Singapore Chinese consisting of 292 normal subjects, 15 patients with atopic dermatitis, 39 with drug allergy and 14 with bronchial asthma. The results were compared with the findings of similar groups in western countries. In the normal subjects the range and means (numerical and geometrical) of serum IgE were four to seven times higher in the Singapore Chinese than reported in the western countries. However, the circulating levels in atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma patients were comparable. In drug allergy moderate IgE elevation was noted. The serum IgE levels of the normal subjects and patients with atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma were markedly lower than those found in nearby Papua New Guinea. The significance of these observations is discussed.