TOTAL IgE (IMMUNOGLOBULIN -E)
Because IgE is a mediator of the allergic response, quantitative measurement of serum IgE, when integrated with other clinical indicators, can provide useful information for the differential clinical diagnosis of atopic and not-atopic disease. Patients with atopic disease, including allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis commonly have moderately elevated serum IgE levels. However, a serum IgE level which is within the range of normally expected values does not rule out a limited set of IgE-dependent allergies. Total serum IgE levels may also be elevated in the presence of some clinical conditions thatare not related to allergy. These clinical conditions, immunodeficiency states, autoimmune disease, hodgkin~s disease, bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, IgE myeloma, and Sezary syndrome.
