Abstract
BACKGROUND: Asthma is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease that presents with varying degrees of bronchospasm which can be triggered by multiple causes. One of the best known triggers is allergies, or contact with allergens that have different immunological mechanisms leading to activation of the inflammatory process characteristic of asthma. Immunoglobulin E is a protein that normally rises in the allergic process and used as a marker. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of IgE as a key factor in asthma and to estimate the incidence of non IgE-mediated asthma. METHODS: 50 Patients (72% female and 28% male) aged 12 and 50 years old, diagnosed with asthma who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were taken from the Allergy and Immunology department. A complete medical history was performed, and the diagnosis was confirmed through a clinical history and spirometric criteria, according to GINA 2007. Subsequently, total IgE in serum were measured by electrochemiluminescence using the Cobascore equipment. RESULTS: 72% of the patients in the study, had an elevated total IgE which suggests that this group has an allergic cause as a trigger for their disease, meanwhile the cause for the remaining patients were due to other causes. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of serum IgE levels should be considered in asthmatic patients in order to determine the specific etiologic treatment. Additionally, these results enhance the importance of a multidisciplinary working diagnosis, and management of this condition, considering that up to a quarter of asthma patients may have Non-IgE mediated etiology