Serum IgE and IgE antibody levels in patients with bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, eosinophilic granulomas of the soft tissue (Kimura's disease) and other diseases.

Hyper-IgE immunoglobulinemia was observed in bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, eosinophilic granuloma of the soft tissue (Kimura's disease), disseminated visceral eosinophilic granulomas (Zuelzer-Apt syndrome) and disseminated eosinophilic collagen disease, IgE antibodies to environmental allergens (Dermatophagoides farinae mites, Aspergillus fumigatus, mountain cedar pollen, and Candida albicans) were found in bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis and combinations of the two, but were not significantly detected in the latter three diseases. Hyper-IgE immunoglobulinemia may be divided into two groups on the basis of the presence of specific IgE antibodies directed to environmental allergens. The presence of antimite IgE antibodies in atopic dermatitis sera was confirmed by radioimmunoelectrophoresis. Anti-mite IgE antibodies in atopic dermatitis were heterogeneous in their specificity and the allergenic moieties to which IgE antibodies were directed varied from one case to another.