Correlation of Serum Ige and Absolute Eosinophil Count in Determining the Severity of Bronchiolitis in Children Aged 2 Month to 2 Years

Abstract

Background:

Bronchiolitis is a leading cause of hospitalization in infants, with disease severity influenced by individual immune responses. In resource-limited settings, identifying cost-effective biomarkers to predict clinical outcomes is essential for early risk stratification and management.

Objective:

To assess the correlation between serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, absolute eosinophil count (AEC), and clinical severity in children aged 2 months to 2 years with bronchiolitis.

Methods:

A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted over 12 months at a tertiary care hospital in Tamil Nadu, India, involving 118 children experiencing their first episode of bronchiolitis. Serum IgE and AEC were measured and compared with clinical severity scores using standardized criteria. Statistical tests included Spearman's correlation, Chi-square, and Mann–Whitney U tests.

Results:

Elevated serum IgE levels were significantly associated with longer duration of fever, cough, and rhinorrhoea (p < 0.05), while AEC showed only a weak correlation with fever duration. No statistically significant association was observed between AEC and serum IgE levels (p = 0.183). Neither marker was independently associated with acute wheeze or a family history of atopy.

Conclusion:

Serum IgE levels demonstrated a stronger association with symptom duration than AEC, suggesting their potential utility in identifying children at risk of prolonged illness. These findings highlight the prognostic relevance of IgE in bronchiolitis and support the need for further longitudinal studies to explore its role in predicting disease severity and long-term respiratory outcomes.