Analysis of total IgE and allergen-specific IgE antibody levels of allergic children in Taiwan.

With advances in technology, several in vitro screening tests such as MAST and CAP system have been used for analyzing the allergens involved in allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma (BA), allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD) and urticaria. In this study, CAP system (Pharmacia, Sweden) was used to screen the prevalence of allergens responsible for these atopic diseases. A total of 392 children were enrolled in this study retrospectively, all these atopic children visited the allergy clinic of the Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital during the period March 1995 and August 1995. Our results showed: (1) Among these 392 allergic children, included 82 BA, 70 AR, 22 AD, 156 BA + AR. 8 BA + AD, 12 AR + AD, and 42 AD + AR + AD: (2) House dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus: D. p and Dermatophagoides farinae: D. f) are the most common allergens triggering atopic disease in the Taiwan area. (3) Total IgE level is the highest in three combined allergic disease (BA + AR + AD) [2179.9 +/- 504.2KU/L] and lowest in single disease (AR) [503.1 +/- 84.8 KU/L]. Mite-specific IgE (D. p + D. f-specific IgE) concentration is also the highest in three combined disease (BA + AR + AD) [499.1 +/- 86.0KU/L] and lowest in AR [159.5 +/- 47.5 KU/L], (4) elevated specific IgE antibody to egg white and milk were found in 68.4% and 47.4% of patients with AD and/or urticaria. In conclusion, these data suggest that house dust mites, are the most important allergens in respiratory allergy as well as in atopic dermatitis, while food allergens play relatively important roles only in skin allergy. Furthermore, the highest IgE level was noted in children with combined allergic diseases.