Total IgE serum levels correlate with sinus mucosal thickness on computerized tomography scans

Background: Sinusitis involves an inflammatory response with similarities to asthma. Objective: We sought to determine whether a correlation exists between total IgE and the sinus mucosal thickening as assessed by computed tomography (CT) scans. Methods: We screened the charts of 300 otolaryngology patients who had total and specific serum IgE determinations in 1994 and from this group selected all patients who had also undergone a sinus CT scan close to the time of serum evaluation (n = 86), Severity of disease on CT scan was graded by two investigators blinded to IgE levels. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between severity of disease on CT scans and IgE (r(s) = 0.37, p = 0.0007). Furthermore, patients with a more advanced disease stage had higher IgE levels. There was also a positive correlation between severity of disease and the sum of specific IgE grades (r(s) = 0.29, p = 0.007), Conclusion: The data suggest that IgE levels or a linked genetic parameter may contribute to the mucosal inflammation in the paranasal sinuses.