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. 2021 Nov 2:14:1323-1333.
doi: 10.2147/JAA.S329531. eCollection 2021.

Selective IgA Deficiency a Probable Risk of Recurrent Chest Infections in Asthmatics

Fawzia Hassan Abo Ali  1 , Nehal Elfawy Mahmoud  1 , Amr Yakout Mohamed El-Sayed  1 , Mariam Fathy Abdelmaksoud  2 , Alaa K Shata  3 , Shaimaa Hani Fouad  1
Affiliations

Selective IgA Deficiency a Probable Risk of Recurrent Chest Infections in Asthmatics

Fawzia Hassan Abo Ali et al. J Asthma Allergy. .

Abstract

Background: Selective immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency is characterized by a high incidence of both recurrent infections and atopic diseases. Asthma is one of the most common lung diseases affecting around 300 million people worldwide and is associated with risk of serious pneumococcal disease and microbial infections. Multiple studies have attributed this to impaired innate and adaptive immunity in asthmatics. An additional probable hypothesis is the existence of an underlying primary immunodeficiency (PID), such as selective IgA deficiency (sIgAD).

Aim: To assess the prevalence of selective IgA deficiency and its correlation to recurrent infections in asthmatic patients.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 80 subjects who were divided into 3 groups: 20 Asthmatic patients with recurrent chest infections (Group A), 20 asthmatic patients without recurrent chest infections (Group B) and 40 healthy controls (Group C).

Results: On comparing the 3 studied groups, there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups (p = ˂0.001) concerning serum IgA. The mean serum IgA was statistically significantly lower in Group A&B than in Group C. Furthermore, it was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B and C (p1,2 <0.002 and <0.001*, respectively). The percentage of selective IgA deficiency or partial IgA deficiency in asthmatic patients was 56% (26 patients). Group A showed a statistically significant higher percentage of selective/partial IgA deficiency.

Keywords: asthma; immune deficiency; recurrent infections; sIgA; sIgE; sIgG; sIgM.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison between the three studied groups according to Age (years). Group A had a higher mean age than Group C (p = 0.022). Group A: Asthmatic patients with recurrent chest infections. Group B: asthmatic patients without recurrent chest infections. Group C: healthy controls.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison between the three studied groups according to serum IgE IU/mL. The mean serum IgE was statistically higher in Group A and B than in controls (p = ˂0.001). The mean value of serum IgE in Group A was 300.9 ± 131.8IU/ mL while in Group B was 220.1 ± 72.0 IU/mL and in the Group C was 94.75 ± 55.35 IU/mL.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison between the three studied groups according to serum IgA. The mean serum IgA was statistically significantly lower in Group A and B than in controls (p = ˂0.001). The mean value of serum IgA in group A was 84.25 ± 51.10 mg/dl while in Group B was 179.9 ± 90.81 mg/dl and in Group C was 219.6 ± 78.78 mg/dl. The mean value of serum IgA was statistically significantly lower in Group A than in Groups B and C (p1,2 <0.002 and <0.001, respectively). There was a statistically non-significant difference between Groups B and C (p = 1). Group A: Asthmatic patients with recurrent chest infections. Group B: Asthmatic patients without recurrent chest infections. Group C: healthy controls.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Correlation between serum IgA (71–360 mg/dl) and Total leucocyte count (TLC). A significant negative correlation between total leucocytic count and serum IgA was noted (r s =−0.418p=0.007). As total leucocytic count increased there was a corresponding significant decrease in serum IgA in asthmatic patients.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Comparison between patients who are taking inhaled corticosteroids and those are not with respect to serum IgA level.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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