[Immunoglobulin E--formation, determination and significance].

The detection of class E of immunoglobulins 10 years ago led to a decisive progress in the pathogenesis and diagnostics of allergic diseases. In the literary survey several essential findings concerning the structure of the IgE and concerning the quantitative and qualitative recognition of the total IgE and the allergen-specific freely circulating or cellularly fixed IgE-antibodies are cited. Diagnostically usable changes of concentrations of the level of total IgE are described.