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Tomoko Tajiri,1 Motohiko Suzuki,2,3 Takeo Kutsuna,4 Hirono Nishiyama,1 Keima Ito,1 Norihisa Takeda,1 Kensuke Fukumitsu,1 Yoshihiro Kanemitsu,1 Satoshi Fukuda,1 Takehiro Umemura,1 Hirotsugu Ohkubo,1 Ken Maeno,1 Yutaka Ito,1 Tetsuya Oguri,1 Masaya Takemura,1 Kosho Yoshikawa,4 Akio Niimi1 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; 3Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya City East Medical Center, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Daido Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, JapanCorrespondence: Tomoko Tajiri, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 467-8601, Japan, Tel +81-52-853-8216, Email tomokot@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jpObjective: Omalizumab has demonstrated clinical efficacy in patients with severe allergic asthma sensitized to perennial allergens and/or severe pollinosis through inhibition of IgE-dependent allergic response. When considering the “one airway, one disease” concept, sensitization to pollen could predict responsiveness to omalizumab. This study aimed to assess whether the pretreatment specific IgE response could be a predictor of responsiveness to omalizumab in severe allergic asthma sensitized to perennial allergens.Methods: In this retrospective study, 41 adult patients with severe allergic asthma sensitized to perennial allergens (27 females; mean age 59 years) who had completed 52-week omalizumab treatment were enrolled. The Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness was performed, and demographic characteristics and the positive ratios of specific IgE responses classified into five subgroups (pollen, dust mite, house dust, mold, and animal dander) were compared between responders and non-responders. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of responsiveness to omalizumab.Results: Thirty-one patients (76%) were identified as responders. The number of sensitized aeroallergen subgroups and sensitization to pollens were significantly higher in responders than in non-responders (both p< 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sensitization to pollen (OR = 8.41, p = 0.02) was independently associated with the effectiveness of omalizumab.Conclusion: Pretreatment serum pollen-specific IgE could be a predictor of responsiveness to omalizumab.Keywords: omalizumab, antigen-specific IgE, pollen, allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma

Abstract The present study was conducted to learn whether the perinatal and environmental factors could influence the total and antigen-specific IgE levels in umbilical cord blood. Retrospective data were obtained from 173 mother-infant pairs. Total and specific (for children's food, wheat/grass and house dust mite-HDM) cord blood IgE levels were determined using the immunoassay test. The total cord blood IgE was between 0.0-23.08 IU/ml (mean 0.55 ± 2.07 IU/ml; median 0.16 IU/ml). Total IgE levels were significantly higher in boys compared with girls (OR = 2.2; P = 0.007), and in newborns with complicated pregnancy (OR = 2.7; P = 0.003). A greater number of siblings correlated with increases in the total cord blood IgE (P < 0.02). We detected specific IgE in 34 newborns (40 positive tests). A long-standing contact with a cat during pregnancy decreased the specific IgE level for wheat/grass (OR = 3.2; P < 0.07) and for children's food (OR = 5.0; P < 0.04), and the contact with a dog decreased the specific-IgE for wheat/grass (OR = 0.3; P < 0.05). Exposure to tobacco smoke correlated with the positive specific IgE toward house dust mite (OR = 4.7; P = 0.005).

Background: Background data on the allergic constitutions of a general population of Japanese children may provide important information regarding environmental factors that contribute to the increased incidence of allergic diseases and suggest clues for their prevention. Methods: Serum samples were obtained from a general population of 3-year-old children (612 samples) in the Kanto area and Asahikawa city. The serum levels of total and specific IgE antibodies against food allergens (egg white, milk, soybean, wheat), indoor airborne allergens (house dust, mite, cat dandruff), and outdoor airborne allergens (Japanese cedar or white birch pollen allergens) were determined and analyzed, along with the results of a questionnaire regarding medical history, and allergy-related subjective symptoms. Results: The mean total IgE level of all subjects was 34.7 IU/ml, while that for the Kanto and Asahikawa areas was 44.7 and 22.5 IU/ml, respectively. Twenty six percent of the 612 children were judged positive for indoor airborne allergen-specific IgE, and 6.7% were positive for food allergen-specific IgE. Cedar allergen-specific IgE was detected in 15.6% of the children living in the Kanto area. The total IgE level was strongly correlated with the number of allergens to which the child was sensitized. Conclusions: A relatively large number (28.4%) of 3-year-old children possessed allergen-specific IgE antibodies. The basic data obtained in the general population in these two areas of Japan will be valuable for further evaluations of environmental influences on allergic disease.

Background: Background data on the allergic constitutions of a general population of Japanese children may provide important information regarding environmental factors that contribute to the increased incidence of allergic diseases and suggest clues for their prevention. Methods: Serum samples were obtained from a general population of 3-year-old children (612 samples) in the Kanto area and Asahikawa city. The serum levels of total and specific IgE antibodies against food allergens (egg white, milk, soybean, wheat), indoor airborne allergens (house dust, mite, cat dandruff), and outdoor airborne allergens (Japanese cedar or white birch pollen allergens) were determined and analyzed, along with the results of a questionnaire regarding medical history, and allergy-related subjective symptoms. Results: The mean total IgE level of all subjects was 34.7 IU/ml, while that for the Kanto and Asahikawa areas was 44.7 and 22.5 IU/ml, respectively. Twenty six percent of the 612 children were judged positive for indoor airborne allergen-specific IgE, and 6.7% were positive for food allergen-specific IgE. Cedar allergen-specific IgE was detected in 15.6% of the children living in the Kanto area. The total IgE level was strongly correlated with the number of allergens to which the child was sensitized. Conclusions: A relatively large number (28.4%) of 3-year-old children possessed allergen-specific IgE antibodies. The basic data obtained in the general population in these two areas of Japan will be valuable for further evaluations of environmental influences on allergic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : The relationship of serum antigen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the association of antigen-specific and total IgE with CVDs using data derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006. Methods and Results : The association of serum total or antigen-specific IgE levels with CVDs was analyzed by survey-weighted logistic regression modeling, adjusted by age, sex, race, education, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol consumption. 4953 subjects were included. Coronary heart disease was significantly related to serum total IgE levels. The association of serum total IgE levels with coronary heart disease was further validated by negative, ≥1 and 1-6 positive antigen-specific IgE. Myocardial infarction was positively associated with serum total IgE levels only when all antigen-specific IgE were negative, but inversely associated with serum total IgE when plant-specific IgE test results were positive. More specifically, myocardial infarction was also inversely related to positive oak, birch, or peanut-specific IgE. In addition, serum total IgE are positively associated with angina when at least one specific IgE were positive. Conclusions : Serum antigen-specific IgE, as well as total IgE, is significantly associated with CVDs independently of a long list of established cardiovascular risk factors, which is more informative than total IgE per se ., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.