PMID- 17108704
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20070329
LR  - 20191210
IS  - 1018-2438 (Print)
IS  - 1018-2438 (Linking)
VI  - 142
IP  - 3
DP  - 2007
TI  - Reference values of total serum IgE and their significance in the diagnosis of 
      allergy in young European adults.
PG  - 230-8
AB  - Allergic sensitization mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the basis of 
      allergic diseases, and elevated total IgE, in spite of some well-known 
      limitations, is frequently included as a diagnostic criterion for allergic 
      diseases. The reference value of total IgE (IgE-t) in the literature (1.5-144 
      kU/l) was established almost 2 decades ago. The aim of this study was to 
      establish IgE-t reference values, establishing an updated cutoff value able to 
      identify atopic subjects, defined as a positive CAP-radioallergosorbent test to 
      at least one of a panel of common allergens, among young European adults. The 
      study included 6,670 subjects from 10 Western European countries within the 
      framework of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II. IgE-t and 
      specific IgE (IgE-s) were measured for the main inhalant allergens; IgE-s in 
      class 0 for all allergens (66.2%) characterized non-atopy. The reference values 
      were estimated by means of linear regression using a 50% random subsample of 
      non-atopic subjects. Two non-atopic subsamples were examined so that one 
      subsample could be used to establish reference IgE-t values, and these values 
      were compared to those in the second non-atopic subsample to validate the 
      findings. Sensitivity and specificity for atopy were assessed on the other 50% of 
      non-atopic and on all atopic subjects. The 95th percentile of IgE-t reference 
      values in non-smokers was 148 kU/l in women and 169 kU/l in men, while it was 194 
      and 220 kU/l in female and male smokers, respectively: serum IgE-t above the 95th 
      percentile identifies <32% and above the 99th percentile <20% of atopic adults 
      (low sensitivity), but a serum IgE-t below the 95th percentile identifies >90% 
      and below the 99th percentile identifies >95% of non-atopic adults (good 
      specificity). Due to the adequate specificity, IgE-t values exceeding the normal 
      limits confirm a suspected atopic status; however, because of the low 
      sensitivity, values below the cutoff seem not to exclude an atopic status with 
      sufficient accuracy.
FAU - Carosso, Aurelia
AU  - Carosso A
AD  - Division of Pneumology and Allergology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. 
      acarosso@qubisoft.it
FAU - Bugiani, Massimiliano
AU  - Bugiani M
FAU - Migliore, Enrica
AU  - Migliore E
FAU - Anto, Josep Maria
AU  - Anto JM
FAU - DeMarco, Roberto
AU  - DeMarco R
LA  - eng
GR  - R01HL62633-01/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States
GR  - RR05521-28/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Multicenter Study
PT  - Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PT  - Validation Study
DEP - 20061114
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Int Arch Allergy Immunol
JT  - International archives of allergy and immunology
JID - 9211652
RN  - 37341-29-0 (Immunoglobulin E)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Europe
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Hypersensitivity/*blood/*diagnosis
MH  - Immunoglobulin E/*blood
MH  - Male
MH  - Predictive Value of Tests
MH  - Reference Values
EDAT- 2006/11/17 09:00
MHDA- 2007/03/30 09:00
CRDT- 2006/11/17 09:00
PHST- 2006/01/17 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2006/06/07 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2006/11/17 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2007/03/30 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/11/17 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 97025 [pii]
AID - 10.1159/000097025 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2007;142(3):230-8. doi: 10.1159/000097025. Epub 2006 
      Nov 14.