Symptom-Specific Clinical Presentation of Allergic Disorders and Corresponding Serum Total IgE in A Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Allergic diseases are among the most common clinical conditions worldwide, and total serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is frequently used as a preliminary marker for allergic sensitization. However, the clinical utility of total IgE remains uncertain due to its variability across different symptom types and populations, especially in low-resource settings where advanced diagnostic tools are limited. Objectives: This study was aimed to quantitatively measure serum total IgE levels among Bangladeshi patients- clinically suspected of allergic diseases and to investigate the relationship between total IgE levels and their clinical presentations. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted using medical records of patients who underwent total serum IgE testing at KPJ Specialized Hospital, Bangladesh, between July 2023 and March 2025. A total of 105 patients meeting the selection criteria were analyzed. Allergic symptoms were categorized into four groups: cutaneous, upper respiratory, lower respiratory, and exogenous/allergen-triggered. Demographic data and IgE levels were compared across groups using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS (v 25.0). Results: The study included 105 participants, predominantly females (67.6%), mostly aged 21–40 years. Upper respiratory symptoms were the most frequent allergic presentation (49.52%), followed by cutaneous (32.38%), lower respiratory (12.38%), and allergen-triggered symptoms (5.71%). Females exhibited a broader spectrum of symptoms compared to males. Lower respiratory symptoms were associated with the highest mean (978.89 IU/mL) and median (584.50 IU/mL) IgE levels, while cutaneous manifestations had the lowest median IgE levels. Age-based analysis revealed that upper respiratory symptoms dominated in younger and middle-aged adults, whereas lower respiratory complaints increased with age. Conclusion: The study concludes that respiratory symptoms, especially asthma-like conditions, showed the highest IgE levels, reinforcing total IgE as a useful preliminary marker for allergy assessment. Upper respiratory symptoms were most prevalent, with females showing broader symptom diversity. Despite limitations, IgE testing remains valuable in low-resource clinical settings.