FREQUENCY OF RAISED TOTAL SERUM IG E, SPUTUM EOSINOPHILIA AND BLOOD EOSINOPHIL COUNT IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE PERSISTENT ASTHMA

Background: Asthma is a prolonged pulmonary illness and has many phenotypes of inflammation. Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and blood eosinophils are markers of pulmonary inflammation in asthma patients. This investigation evaluated the intensity of asthma with various markers of inflammation. Objectives: To assess the occurrence of elevated total serum IgE, eosinophilia in sputum and levels of eosinophil in blood of asthmatic individuals. Material & Methods: This cross sectional study involved 800 participants which participated in the study after achieving the inclusion criteria. The study took place in Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar in time span of 1st July 2023 to 31st December, 2023. Aseptic measures were taken for collection of samples of blood to assess serum IgE and levels of blood eosinophils. Sterile jar was used for collection of sputum and the jars were submitted to histopathology laboratory. Results: The present study involved 800 participants with the mean age of 48.39 ± 13.22 SD. The time duration of symptoms was 26.58 ± 8.43 SD. The study involved 47% males and 53% females. After analysis of the serum it was found that majority of the asthmatic participants (n= 612, 76.5%) had elevated IgE. Only 9.6% of the participants had elevated eosinophils in sputum. Majority of the participants (n=450, 56.2%) had elevated eosinophil count in the blood. After comparing age, gender and time duration of symptoms with serum IgE, blood eosinophilia and sputum eosinophilia through chi square test, it was found that there was a significant association between age of the asthmatic patient and elevated eosinophils count in sputum (p= 0.035) as indicted by p-value. There was no significant association between gender of the asthmatic patient and duration of symptoms with elevated serum immunoglobulin E levels, eosinophilia in sputum and elevated eosinophilic count in blood. Conclusion: Levels Serum IgE, eosinophils count in sputum as well as blood were elevated significantly in asthmatic patients. These biomarkers can be used in the diagnosis of asthma as their discovery is feasible, ‘simple and non-invasive’ and they have a direct correlation with inflammation.