DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL SERUM IGE AND SPECIFIC IGE TO COMMON AEROALLERGENS BY SEX AND AGE, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER IN A RANDOM SAMPLE OF THE DUTCH GENERAL-POPULATION AGED 20-70 YEARS

To describe the distribution of serum total IgE and specific IgE to co mmon aeroallergens by sex and age and to study their relationship to e ach other, we measured serum total IgE and specific IgE (CAP) to house -dust mile, timothy grass, cat, birch, and Cladosporium in a random sa mple of 2496 subjects, aged 20-70 years from the Dutch general populat ion. We found that total IgE was higher in men, independently of smoki ng, and that total IgE had no relationship with age after adjustment f or specific IgE and smoking in linear regression analysis. Al least on e positive specific IgE test was found in 32% in both sexes. Men had h igher prevalences of specific IgE to house-dust mite and lower prevale nces of specific IgE to birch than women. The proportion with positive specific IgE decreased with age. The mean total IgE increased with th e number of positive specific IgE tests, Thus, total IgE is higher in men and has no relationship with age if specific IgE is taken into acc ount. The prevalences of specific IgE to aeroallergens are high and de crease with increasing age, We suggest that sex differences in total I gE should be considered when using total IgE.