Evaluation of the skin prick test and serum total lgE levels in atopic patients

Skin test and the determination of total lgE level in serum are the methods often used in the diagnosis of allergy. A prospective analysis was performed on 399 clinically atopic patients with bronchial asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis between May 1996- July 1998. This study was designed to investigate the allergens and the corelation between the serum total lgE and skin test reactions. Skin test reactions were positive in 207 patients. We found 73.91% positive skin test reactions for mixture of cereals, 59.42% for tree pollen extracts, 47.83% for grass pollen extracts, 27.05 for weed mixture and 23.67% for house dust mites. Skin test reactions were positive in 31%, 74%, 42%, 71%, 60% in brochial asthma, rhinitis, rhinitis+asthma, rhinitis+conjunctivitis, rhinitis+conjunkctivitis+asthma, respectively. 71% of patients with bronchial asthma and 33% of patients with rhinitis had high total lgE levels. We didn't determine positive correlation between the skin test positivity and high serum total lgE levels.