Evaluation of Total Serum IgE Level and Associated Factors in Asthmatic Patients at the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross‐Sectional Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder with both genetic and environmental underlying risk factors. Allergic asthma, the most prevalent kind, is mostly ascribed to aberrant T helper type 2 (Th2) inflammation and is brought on by allergens. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is known to play a critical role in asthma and also has a main function in immunity to parasites such as helminths. In this study, we aimed to assess the total serum IgE level and associated factors among asthmatic patients at the University of Gondar Hospital, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A comparative cross‐sectional study was conducted from June to August 2019 at the University of Gondar Hospital among asthmatic patients. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the sociodemographic characteristics of patients. Venous blood and stool samples were collected from participants to determine outcomes and clinical factors. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. ANOVA, the Kruskal–Wallis test, the Mann–Whitney test, Spearman's correlation, and binary logistic regressions were used in data analysis. A p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 88 study participants were included. The geometric mean of total IgE level was 366.6 ± 5.4 and 52.2 ± 3.6 IU/mL for patients and controls, respectively ( p < 0.001). The geometric mean total IgE levels of patients with positive and negative helminth infections were 1282.9 ± 3.6 and 294.4 ± 5.6 IU/mL, respectively ( p = 0.237). There was no significant difference between the dependent variable and the independent variables. Conclusion This study showed significantly higher total IgE levels in asthmatics than in controls. The assessment of total IgE level in asthmatics, particularly in those with allergic asthma, is a direct measurement of airway inflammation, and thus, the estimation of total IgE level should be included in routine practice.