TY - JOUR KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Aged, 80 and over KW - Antibodies, Bacterial KW - Antibody Specificity KW - Female KW - Humans KW - Hypersensitivity, Immediate KW - Immunoglobulin E KW - leprosy KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Mycobacterium leprae KW - Skin Tests AU - Smith D L AU - Bahna S L AU - Gillis T P AU - Clements B H AB -

The atopic status of patients with leprosy was assessed by medical history, physical examination, serum total IgE, and specific IgE antibodies to common allergens (by skin testing and RAST). Tests for specific IgE antibody to Mycobacterium leprae were performed by RAST and immunoblotting technique. We studied 28 patients with leprosy and 49 control subjects. The two groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of atopic disease. The IgE level was significantly higher in the patients, however, than in the control subjects, whether there was atopy (296.1 versus 96.3 IU/ml) or not atopy (72.9 versus 18.9 IU/ml). Neither RAST nor immunoblotting technique detected significant levels of IgE antibodies to M. leprae. Our data indicate that leprosy was associated with increased total IgE level, but clinical atopy in patients with leprosy was similar to that in control subjects. The observed IgE increase in patients with leprosy appears to be generally nonspecific.

BT - The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2182698?dopt=Abstract DA - 1990 Apr DO - 10.1016/0091-6749(90)90201-e IS - 4 J2 - J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. LA - eng N2 -

The atopic status of patients with leprosy was assessed by medical history, physical examination, serum total IgE, and specific IgE antibodies to common allergens (by skin testing and RAST). Tests for specific IgE antibody to Mycobacterium leprae were performed by RAST and immunoblotting technique. We studied 28 patients with leprosy and 49 control subjects. The two groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of atopic disease. The IgE level was significantly higher in the patients, however, than in the control subjects, whether there was atopy (296.1 versus 96.3 IU/ml) or not atopy (72.9 versus 18.9 IU/ml). Neither RAST nor immunoblotting technique detected significant levels of IgE antibodies to M. leprae. Our data indicate that leprosy was associated with increased total IgE level, but clinical atopy in patients with leprosy was similar to that in control subjects. The observed IgE increase in patients with leprosy appears to be generally nonspecific.

PY - 1990 SP - 795 EP - 800 T2 - The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology TI - Atopy and IgE in patients with leprosy. VL - 85 SN - 0091-6749 ER -