Association of Asthma with Serum IgE Levels and Skin-Test Reactivity to Allergens

Abstract

We investigated the association of self-reported asthma or allergic rhinitis with serum IgE levels and skin-test reactivity to allergens in 2657 subjects in a general-population study. Regardless of the subjects' status with respect to atopy or their age group, the prevalence of asthma was closely related to the serum IgE level standardized for age and sex (P1.46 SD below the mean). The log odds ratio increased linearly with the serum IgE level after we controlled for possible confounders and the degree of reactivity to skin tests. In contrast, allergic rhinitis appeared to be associated primarily with skin-test reactions to common aeroallergens, independently of the serum IgE level.