Analysis of allergen-specific IgE test results in patients with common dermatoses

Objective To explore the differences in the types and levels of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) between patients with common allergic and non-allergic dermatoses.Methods 10,184 adult patients who visited our hospital from May 2023 to June 2024 and underwent quantitative testing of allergen sIgE were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 8,564 patients had allergic skin diseases and 1,620 patients had non-allergic skin diseases. Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in the types of detected allergen sIgE between the allergic and non-allergic dermatosis patients. T-tests were used to compare the differences in the levels of allergen sIgE between the two groups. One-way analysis of variance was further used to analyze the increase of allergen sIgE in patients with different types of allergic and non-allergic skin diseases.Results 87.07% of patients with allergic dermatoses were positive for allergen sIgE, of which 75.43% were positive for inhalation allergens, with the highest rates being dust mites, house dust mites, and tropical mites; and 66.83% were positive for ingestion allergens, with the highest rates being almonds, shrimps, and soybeans. Allergen sIgE was positive in 46.19% of patients with non-allergic skin diseases for, of which 45.59% were positive for inhalation allergens, with the highest rates being tropical mites, house dust, and house dust mites; and 41.90% were positive for ingestion allergens, with the highest rates being almonds, shrimps, and soybeans. The positive rates of inhalation allergens including tropical mites, dust mites, house dust mites, house dust, German cockroaches, dandelions, daisies, and ingestion allergens such as Brazil nuts and coconuts were significantly higher in patients with allergic skin diseases than those in patients with non-allergic skin diseases. Further analysis of quantitative results from patients with positive allergen sIgE showed that the sIgE levels of tropical mites, dust mites, house dust, dog dander, cat dander, timothy grass, mugwort and daisy in patients with allergic skin diseases were significantly higher than those in patients with non-allergic skin diseases. Conversely, the sIgE levels of Alternaria, milk and protein in patients with non-allergic dermatoses were significantly higher than those in patients with allergic dermatoses.Conclusion Abnormal allergen sIgE levels are not only observed in patients with allergic skin diseases, but also in patients with non-allergic skin diseases. Based on previous literature reporting that allergies can play a synergistic pathogenic role in the progression of non-allergic dermatoses, this study further suggests that it is necessary to improve allergen sIgE testing in the diagnosis and treatment of common skin diseases in clinical practice.