IgE in atopic dermatitis: a study of the intercellular fluid

Abstract

In 33 adult patients with atopic dermatitis of mild to severe degree the concentration of IgE in serum (S) and intercellular fluid (IF) was studied by suction blister technique. The median value of IF/S-IgE was 0.20 and not different from the ratio 0.21 found in controls. Furthermore, by subdividing the patients into groups with asthma/rhinitis or different severities of eczema no significant differences in the IF/S-IgE ratios were found compared with the controls. In the controls the IF/S-IgE ratio (0.21) was significantly different from the IF/S-IgG ratio (0.32). The median ratio of IF/S-IgE divided by IF/S-IgG was 0.63, which might indicate a reduced passage of IgE into IF compared with IgG presumably dependent on differences in the molecular size or tertiary structure of the proteins.