The Age Impact on Serum Total and Allergen-Specific IgE.
10.4168/aair.2013.5.3.170
- Author:
Mara DE AMICI
1
;
Giorgio CIPRANDI
Author Information
1. Allergy Lab, IRCCS San Matteo Fundation, Pavia, Italy.
- Publication Type:Brief Communication
- Keywords:
Age;
allergy;
serum;
specific IgE and total IgE
- MeSH:
Aging;
Allergens;
Cohort Studies;
Female;
Humans;
Hypersensitivity;
Immune System;
Immunoglobulin E
- From:Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
2013;5(3):170-174
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Aging is accompanied by a progressive decline in almost all functions of the immune system. To investigate a possible impact of age on IgE production, this study evaluated total and allergen-specific serum IgE levels in a large cohort of allergic patients. This study included 6,370 allergic patients (2,961 females, 3,409 males; mean age, 21.7 years; age range, 0-96 years). Total and allergen-specific serum IgE levels were measured by immunoenzymatic assay. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference (P<0.0001) in the mean value of total IgE among the different age groups of patients. Moreover, specific IgE levels for all allergens examined differed significantly among the age groups of patients (P<0.0001), with a specific trend pattern for each allergen. Total IgE increased with age, but allergen-specific IgE levels significantly decreased with age, with a trend specific for each allergen tested.
