Elevated serum total IgE--a potential marker for severe chronic urticaria.

Background: Elevated IgE levels in patients with chronic urticaria have been noted previously, but the significance of these findings has not been appreciated.

Objective: To measure the IgE levels in such patients and to examine the relationship between these levels and urticarial severity, autologous serum skin test, anti-thyroid antibodies and duration.

Methods: Serum total IgE levels from 203 patients with chronic urticaria were measured and compared with nonatopic individuals.