Serum IgE levels in patients with bullous pemphigoid and its correlation to the activity of the disease and anti-basement membrane zone antibodies.

The serum levels of IgE were found to be increased in 24 of 34 patients with an acute exacerbation of bullous pemphigoid. There was no statistically significant correlation between the serum IgE level or the serum anti-basement membrane zone antibody titer and the extent of the disease during an exacerbation. There was however a positive correlation between anti-basement membrane zone antibody titers and serum IgE levels. All but 2 patients showed a normalisation or decline in serum IgE 2-4 months after an exacerbation of the disease. There was also a tendency to declining antibasement membrane zone antibody titers in many patients but changes of these titers could usually not be measured as early as alterations of serum IgE levels were found. Thus in most patients serum IgE was found to be a better laboratory parameter than indirect immunofluorescence for following the activity of the disease.