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Key Takeawyas
- High IgE levels can be associated with various conditions, including allergies, allergic asthma, infections, and autoimmune disorders.
- High IgE levels are not always harmful, and other tests can find out why they are high.
- Treatment for high IgE levels involves treating the underlying cause.
High IgE levels often signal an allergic response but can also be linked to chronic infections or autoimmune diseases. While high levels may seem concerning, they’re not inherently dangerous; what matters is uncovering the underlying cause through additional testing.
What Is IgE?
IgE is produced by B-cell lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that is part of the immune system. This antibody normally activates physical responses to help your body fight infections.
What Are the Five Immunoglobulins and What Do They Do?
- IgA is found in mucosal tissue, such as the respiratory tract and digestive system, and defends against infections.
- IgD binds to B cells to initiate an immune response, but its role is not well understood. It is found in small amounts in the blood.
- IgG is the most common type of antibody. It is found in blood and bodily fluids and defends against viruses and bacteria.
- IgE is part of allergic reactions and defends against parasites. It is found in small amounts in the blood.
- IgM is the first to fight infections and help trigger the release of other antibodies. It is found in blood and lymph fluid.
For some people, exposure to allergens—which are harmless, non-infectious substances (like dust or pollen)—can also trigger the body to produce and release IgE.
In these situations, IgE antibodies bind to the allergen, triggering an inflammatory response. This response can produce symptoms such as a skin rash, sneezing, and swollen lips. In some people, allergies can also trigger asthma.
Common allergens include:
When your body releases IgE, a series of immune responses occurs. IgE binds to and activates other cells like basophils and mast cells.
When IgE binds with any of these cells, it can overstimulate your immune system. Part of this response causes your capillaries to dilate and become more permeable. This increases inflammation by allowing the immune cells to cluster around the allergen.
How to Tell if Your IgE Levels Are Normal
A normal IgE range is considered less than 100 kU/L in adults. Previously, levels as low as zero were considered normal. However, newer data suggest that individuals who are IgE deficient, meaning IgE levels less than 2.5 kU/L, may be at a higher risk of various cancers.
Signs Your IgE Levels Are Too High
Symptoms linked to high IgE levels depend on the condition. For example, with allergies, you might notice:
- Itchy eyes
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Nasal congestion
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Hives
The symptoms are usually mild, but in some cases, they can become severe.
If you have allergic asthma, your bronchi (airways) can become narrow and inflamed due to the rapid influx of immune cells, which can exacerbate asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Your airways may also suddenly spasm, making it difficult for air to pass as you try to breathe.
Severe Allergic Reactions
Most allergies are mild. However, in some cases, an allergic response can trigger severe asthma symptom or a condition known as anaphylactic shock. Both conditions make breathing difficult.
See emergency medical care if you believe you are having a severe allergic reaction or develop difficulty breathing.
What Causes High IgE?
Causes of high IgE can range from allergies to infections. Less commonly, a condition such as a blood cancer may cause elevated IgE levels.
However, while researchers have historically explored a potential connection between elevated IgE and certain cancers, the opposite appears to be more prevalent. Some IgE is beneficial, and being deficient in this antibody actually may place you at a greater risk of developing various cancers.
Allergic Conditions
Several specific allergic responses can result in elevated IgE levels. Allergic responses include:
An elevated IgE level supports the diagnosis of allergic asthma but does not give an indication of what the trigger(s) of your attacks could be.
Infections
Parasitic infections are the most common type of infection associated with high IgE levels, but high levels can also occur along with certain viral, bacterial, or fungal infections.
Infections associated with high IgE include:
Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Inflammatory diseases occur when there is an excess immune response that leads to inflammation. These can also be associated with high IgE.
Examples include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that often affects joints
- Lupus, an autoimmune disease that can affect tissues and organs
- Churg-Strauss syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes vasculitis (an inflammation of blood vessels)
- Kawasaki disease, a rare inflammatory condition in children under age 5 that may be due to an infection and can affect the heart
- Kimura disease, an inflammatory condition that causes swelling under the skin of the head and neck
Blood-Related Cancers
High IgE is also associated with certain blood-related cancers. This includes Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that starts in the lymph nodes, and IgE myeloma, a rare type of cancer that affects a type of white blood cells in bone marrow.
Other Conditions
There are several other conditions and behaviors associated with high IgE, including, but not limited to:
How Is High IgE Diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will assess your symptoms and order additional tests to find the cause of high IgE levels. Symptoms that suggest an allergic cause include itchy eyes, nausea, sneezing, coughing, and congestion.
Sometimes the pattern of symptoms can point to allergic asthma when symptoms tend to occur in relation to allergen exposure. Allergy testing can help identify what may be triggering your condition.
IgE Testing
IgE testing may be done if your healthcare provider suspects a condition such as allergic asthma. Your healthcare provider will consider your results in the context of your symptoms and other diagnostic measures.
Treatment Options
If you have high IgE levels, your treatment will vary depending on the condition that’s causing them.
For example, there are a number of treatments for allergic asthma, including avoiding allergens that are asthma triggers, if possible. However, it is not always possible to avoid allergens, especially if they are highly prevalent in the environment. In that case, other treatments may be used:
- Inhalers containing corticosteroids and/or bronchodilators are commonly used to treat allergic asthma.
- Anti-IgE medication such as Xolair (omalizumab) can be used along with bronchodilators. Your IgE level can help your healthcare provider determine whether you might benefit from treatment that can lower IgE. But a high level is not a requirement for treatment with an anti-IgE.
Allergic reactions may be treated with antihistamines. Severe allergic reactions may require treatment with epinephrine.
Other conditions have varying treatments. For example, autoimmune conditions like lupus may be treated with immunosuppressant drugs, while lymphoma may be treated with chemotherapy or radiation.