Prick puncture skin tests and serum specific IgE as predictors of nasal challenge response to dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in older adults.

Background: The ability of prick puncture skin test (PPST) results and the presence of serum specific IgE (sIgE) to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus to predict positive or negative nasal challenge (NC) results has not been determined in older adults.

Objective: To determine if allergy skin test and/or serum sIgE is diagnostic of allergic rhinitis in older adults.

Methods: Forty-eight adults (20 younger and 28 older) with rhinitis underwent NC to D.

Serum total IgE and specific IgE to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, but not eosinophil cationic protein, are more likely to be elevated in elderly asthmatic patients.

Serum IgE (total and five specific) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels were compared in elderly physician-diagnosed patients with asthma with non-asthmatic controls matched by age and gender to ascertain whether elevated levels are indicators of asthma in the elderly. All subjects and controls were non-smokers. The subjects were participants in the Florida Geriatric Research Program (FGRP), a longitudinal aging study that tracks the health status of people 65 years and older.