Table 2.
Skin prick test (SPT) response to allergens in asthmatic patients in relation to total sIgE level
| Allergen | Positive response (n=44) |
Positive response in patients with sIgE |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| <101IU/ml (n=6) | ≥101IU/ml (n=38) | ||
| Cat fur | 19 (43%) | 2 (33%) | 17 (45%) |
| Cowhair | 4 (9%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (11%) |
| Feathers | 10 (23%) | 0 (0%) | 10 (26%) |
| Horse hair | 7 (16%) | 1 (17%) | 6 (16%) |
| Human hair | 6 (14%) | 0 (0%) | 6 (16%) |
| Sheep wool | 13 (29%) | 0 (0%) | 13 (34%) |
| House dust | 32 (73%) | 3 (50%) | 29 (76%) |
| Hay dust | 12 (27%) | 1 (17%) | 11 (29%) |
| House dust mite* | 17 (38%) | 0 (0%) | 17 (45%) |
| Cotton | 6 (14%) | 1 (17%) | 5 (13%) |
| A.alternata | 6 (14%) | 0 (0%) | 6 (16%) |
| A.fumigata | 5 (11%) | 0 (0%) | 5 (13%) |
| A.niger | 3 (7%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (8%) |
| Grass | 13 (30%) | 1 (17%) | 12 (32%) |
| Mixed threshings | 16 (36%) | 1 (17%) | 15 (39%) |
| Trees | 3 (7%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (8%) |
| Straw | 9 (20%) | 1 (17%) | 8 (21%) |
| Cheese | 4 (9%) | 1 (17%) | 3 (8%) |
| Chocolate | 1 (2%) | 1 (17%) | 0 (0%) |
| Cod | 0 (0%) | ||
| Egg | 2 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (5%) |
| Lobster | 17 (38%) | 3 (50%) | 14 (37%) |
| Maize | 15 (34%) | 3 (50%) | 12 (32%) |
| Milk | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Wheat | 1 (2%) | 1 (3%) | |
| Histamine | 44 (100%) | 6 (100%) | 38 (100%) |
*
Using a cut off point of 101 IU/ml, sIgE levels do not differentiate frequency of SPT response to individual allergens, except, in the case of “house dust mite”, which is only responsive in the SPT at sIgE levels ≥101 IU/ml (χ2=4.37, p<0.05).