Regarding evaluation of serum immunoglobulin E levels in bronchial asthma.

Sir,

We read with great interest the article “Evaluation of serum Immunoglobulin E levels in bronchial asthma”[1] published in Vol. 27, Issue 3, July-Sept 2010 in which the authors reported increased Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in bronchial asthma patients.

The authors have mentioned only the mean values whereas when the difference in the values in a group is high, the values should preferably be presented as median or mean±SEM.[2]

We also conducted a similar study in the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh (India), in which 96 asthma patients were enrolled (unpublished data).

These were classified into four grades according to the severity of disease as defined by National Asthma Education and Prevention Programme Expert Panel Report -2002[3]

Grade I: Mild intermittent

Grade II: Mild persistent

Grade III: Moderate persistent

Grade IV: Severe persistent.

Serum IgE levels were measured along with other parameters in all the cases and controls by Automated Chemiluminescence System (Bayer Diagnostics, ACS180).

Mean±SEM of IgE levels in cases were significantly higher as compared to controls (342.09±34.97 IU/ml vs. 126.87±16.38 IU/ml, P<0.001). The difference in mean levels were found to be significant statistically amongst mild intermittent and severe persistent cases and between mild persistent and severe persistent (P<0.05) asthma cases.

On comparing the severity of asthma with serum IgE levels, the present data indicated that more the severity of the asthma, more the levels of IgE as has been reported by the authors.