In Reply to “Immunoglobulin E Deficiency and Autoimmune Disease”

• Published in: Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 509 - 510
• Main Author: Vidal, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain Esmon Publicidad 01.01.2023
• Subjects: Atopy; Autoimmune Diseases; Autoimmunity; Cholangitis; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulins; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Autoimmunity; Immunoglobulin E; Primary biliary cholangitis; Hypothyroidism
• ISSN: 1018-9068; 1698-0808
• DOI: 10.18176/jiaci.0952

The authors of this letter respond to a previous letter regarding their study on immunoglobulin E (IgE) deficiency and autoimmune disease. They clarify that their study aimed to show that patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an autoimmune disease, often have lower IgE levels compared to the general adult population in the same area. They explain that the definition of elevated total serum IgE levels in the population is subject to drawbacks, such as non-normal distribution and the high frequency of atopy. They also discuss the limitations of using total IgE as a diagnostic marker, including its association with demographic and lifestyle factors. The authors emphasize the importance of using a random sample of the population as a control group to obtain more representative results. They conclude that the points raised in the previous letter do not affect the main conclusions of their study, which highlight the association between IgE deficiency and PBC. The study was supported by grants from the Carlos III Institute of Health and the Spanish Ministry of Health. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.