Serum IgE levels in liver cirrhosis.

Abstract

Hypergammaglobulinemia is a well-known feature of liver cirrhosis, but studies on serum IgE in this setting are limited. The present study evaluates serum IgE concentration in a group of cirrhotic patients and examines their relationship with aetiological, clinical and analytical parameters (including liver function tests and hepatic phagocytic activity). The presence of specific IgE against common dietary antigens was also investigated. Total serum IgE was determined by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in 52 cirrhotics (27 alcoholic and 25 non-alcoholic, including eight virus B and seven virus C-related cirrhosis, three primary biliary cirrhosis, three cryptogenic, three haemochromatosis and one Wilson's disease) and 34 healthy subjects (used as controls). Serum IgE (IU/ml) in controls was not significantly different from that of cirrhotic patients (median 42, range 2-726 vs median 86, range 2- > 1000, respectively) (P = NS). However, serum IgE among alcoholics (median 199, range 19- > 1000) was higher than that of controls (P < 0.001), virus B-related cirrhotics (median 25, range 3- > 1000) (P < 0.05), virus C-related cirrhotics (median 47, range 2-170) (P < 0.05), or non-alcoholic cirrhotics as a whole (median 23, range 2- > 1000) (P < 0.01). High IgE levels (> or = 170 IU/ml) were detected in 55.5% of alcoholics compared with only 12% of non-alcoholic cirrhotics (P < 0.01). Moreover, IgE levels were very high (> 1000 IU/ml) in six patients of the alcoholic group (22.2%) compared with only one non-alcoholic patient (4%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sensitization to cross‐reactive carbohydrate determinants in relation to alcohol consumption

“…Since initial descriptions [1], several studies have confirmed the finding of high serum IgE in alcoholics [2][3][4]. Moreover, moderate-to-heavy alcohol drinkers show an increase in total serum IgE when compared with abstainers [5][6][7].…”

“…Moreover, moderate-to-heavy alcohol drinkers show an increase in total serum IgE when compared with abstainers [5][6][7]. The association of alcohol consumption with increased IgE levels is independent of age, sex, liver disease, nutrition, and smoking [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Furthermore, alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with increased cord blood IgE concentrations [8].…”

The Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Biomarkers of Alcohol Exposure With Total Serum Immunoglobulin E Levels

“…A number of studies have provided evidence that alcohol intake is positively associated with total serum IgE levels (Gonzalez-Quintela et al, 2002. Total serum IgE levels are increased in alcoholics (Dominguez-Santalla et al, 2001;Gonzalez-Quintela et al, 1999;Ha¨llgren and Lundin, 1983;Raithel et al, 2003;Van Epps et al, 1976;Vidal et al, 1994) and moderate alcohol consumers (Criqui et al, 1990;Gonzalez-Quintela et al, 2003;Linneberg et al, 2003;Vidal et al, 2002) and decrease after alcohol abstinence in alcoholics (Gonzalez-Quintela et al, 1999;Ha¨llgren and Lundin, 1983). In addition, a birth cohort study in 2,631 infants found a significant association between maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and elevated total serum IgE levels in the cord blood of newborn children (Bjerke et al, 1994).…”

Total Serum IgE Levels in Chronic Hepatitis C: Influence of Interferon Alpha Therapy

“…In this series, chronic hepatitis C was not associated with IgE increase. Serum IgE levels are commonly increased in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, but not in cases of liver cirrhosis of a different origin [2, 3]. Serum IgE increase in alcoholics is unrelated to the severity of liver dysfunction [2, 34, 35, 36].…”

“…However, significant differences may be observed depending on the cause of liver damage [2, 3]. Serum IgE levels are particularly increased in patients with alcoholic liver disease [2].…”