Serum IgE studies in atopic dermatitis

To determine whether serum IgE levels in patients with atopic dermatitis bear a relationship to the severity and course of the dermatitis, serum levels were measured over several months in 24 patients. Excluded were patients with concurrent rhinitis or asthma, or those receiving therapy (hyposensitization, systemic corticosteroids) which might have affected serum levels. A clinical profile was developed to gauge the severity and extent of the dermatitis during the course of the study. The results show that many patients with atopic dermatitis have normal serum IgE levels. No significant fluctuation of serum IgE levels in individual patients was noted during the course of the study even though the dermatitis varied in severity. However, there was a positive relationship of significance (p<.05) between overall severity of the dermatitis and elevated serum levels of this immunoglobulin.