Background: The frequency of atopy in women with premenstrual asthma (PMA) and its possible effect on the premenstrual exacerbation of asthma are unknown.
Objective: To analyze the relation between atopy markers (total IgE, Phadiatop, and specific IgE) and PMA.
Methods: Asthmatic women of reproductive age completed a questionnaire about respiratory symptoms and recorded peak flow during an entire menstrual cycle to be classified as asthmatic patients with or without PMA. Their asthma severity was graded according to the 2005 Global Initiative for Asthma scale. PMA was defined as a clinical or functional exacerbation (>or=20%) in the premenstrual phase compared with the preovulatory phase. Blood tests for several atopy markers were conducted for: total IgE and screening for aeroallergens (Phadiatop) and specific IgE.
Results: Blood determinations were performed in 59 asthmatic women, of whom 31 (53%) had PMA. Twenty-six patients with PMA (84%) and 12 without PMA (43%) had total IgE values greater than 100 kU/L (P=.001). Twenty-one patients with PMA (68%) and 14 without PMA (50%) tested positive for Phadiatop (P=.17). Those who were positive for Phadiatop were also tested for specific IgE. No relation was found between specific IgE and PMA; values for ryegrass (63%), olive (60%), and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (54%) exceeded 0.35 kU/L.
Conclusions: PMA seems to be closely linked to total IgE levels but not to specific allergens. The atopy affects the clinical manifestations of PMA in women of reproductive age.
Copyright © 2010 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.