CORRELATION BETWEEN TOTAL SERUM IgE LEVELS AND SOME CHARACTERISTICS IN VIETNAMESE PEMPHIGOID PATIENTS

Objectives: To determine the correlation between total serum IgE levels and some clinical and subclinical characteristics in pemphigoid patients.Methods: A cross-sectional study on 42 pemphigoid patients, all of which were newly diagnosed. Information was collected from patient interviews and medical records. Total serum IgE levels were determined using a total IgE ELISA following the manufacturer’s instructions. Eosinophil counts were analyzed on the same day when serum samples were taken. For IgE DIF staining of perilesional skin, IgE Goat anti-Human, FITC was used, incubation was performed overnight at 4oC.Results: Among 42 pemphigoid patients, the average age was 73.2 ± 15.5 years old. 60% of pemphigoid patients had elevated total serum IgE levels, the mean value was 121.6 ± 101.8 UI/mL. Total serum IgE levels were significantly correlated with eosinophil counts (r = 0.61; p < 0.05) and the BPDAI urticaria/erythema (U/E) score (r = 0.50; p < 0.05). However, total circulating IgE levels were not significantly associated with total BPDAI score (p > 0.05). DIF IgE staining on perilesional skin of pemphigoid patients had a positive rate of 14.3%.Conclusion: Total serum IgE values correlated with some clinical and subclinical characteristics in pemphigoid patients. IgE autoantibodies were present in the skin of pemphigoid patients, supporting the hypothesis that IgE potentially modulates pruritus associated with pemphigoid.