High total IgE, perennial aeroallergen specific IgE levels found in fatal asthma
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Key takeaways:
- Plasma samples from individuals who died because of asthma had high levels of total IgE and perennial aeroallergen-specific IgE.
- More research is needed on how these factors impact asthma severity.
WASHINGTON — Individuals who died due to asthma had high levels of total IgE and perennial aeroallergen-specific IgE, according to data presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting.
“The results of our study suggest increased total IgE production and specifically, IgE sensitization to persistent aeroallergens, may be a serious risk factor for those living with asthma,” Amanda Atanasio, MS, senior principal scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, told Healio. “The everyday clinician may consider this finding to inform their approach to diagnosis, treatment and education of patients living with the condition. The findings also support the use of therapeutic approaches that target pathogenic IgE to help prevent potentially fatal cases of asthma.”
In order to determine how total IgE and allergen-specific IgE sensitization rates are linked to fatal asthma, Atanasio and colleagues assessed plasma samples from three different sets of organ donors, including 21 individuals who died of an asthma attack, 17 individuals with a history of asthma and 25 non-asthmatic control individuals.
Researchers reported use of the ImmunoCAP platform (Thermo Fisher Scientific) to find both total IgE and allergen-specific IgE (perennial, seasonal, food allergens) in the samples.
In the cohort of those who died due to an asthma attack, researchers found a median total IgE level of 507 kU/L, which was significantly greater than the median level of 93.9 kU/L observed in the cohort of those without asthma (P = .0018).
Elevated levels of perennial aeroallergen-specific IgE were also found in samples of those with fatal asthma vs. those without asthma. Allergen-specific IgEs comprised in this classification included cat, dog, cockroach and house dust mite allergens, according to researchers.
“This was unexpected and demonstrates that IgE production and sensitization to persistent aeroallergens may be undervalued in its impact on asthma severity and warrants further investigation,” Atanasio told Healio.
Researchers did not find a link between fatal asthma and IgE-sensitization to seasonal, mold or food allergens.
“In parallel to the IgE sensitization profiling presented in the current study, we’re continuing to conduct cellular and molecular analysis of mucosal and lymphoid tissue samples from this fatal asthma, asthma history and non-asthmatic control cohort,” Atanasio said. “Our goal is to further understand molecular and immunological characteristics associated with each group.”