Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients with severe burns

The concentrations of immunoglobulin E (IgE) were measured serially in 30 patients with severe burn injury. A characteristic finding was a rapid and dramatic increase of IgE in the serum of all patients, some of whom showed up to 20-fold increases. IgE was also found in considerable amounts in blister fluid and pleural effusions. In some patients raised IgE values were the only indicator of an anamnestic immediate allergie state. No correlation was found between the IgE levels and clinical characteristics of individual patients but significant changes scented to be present only in patients with a burn covering more than 20 per cent of the body surface area.