Association between Serum Ferritin and Total IgE among Pediatric Patients with Recurrent Wheeze: Hospital-based study in Libya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54361/LJMR.20.2.49Keywords:
Wheezing, Immunoglobulin, Ferritins, Hypersensitivity, LibyaAbstract
Background: The "iron allergy hypothesis" suggests insufficient iron stores drive T-helper 2 polarisation and promote IgE sensitisation. We studied the association between serum ferritin and total IgE categories among Libyan children with recurrent wheeze. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Ali Omar Asker Hospital (Tripoli, Libya) from January 2023 to February 2026.Investigated 150 children aged 2-16 years diagnosed with recurrent wheezing. Serum ferritin and total IgE levels were classified as normal, low, or high based on laboratory ranges. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson’s Chi-square, Fisher’s exact and Spearman’s rank correlation tests. Results: Among the 150 children, 23.8% had low ferritin, 76.2%were normal, and none were high. Overall, 54.7% had high IgE levels. The results showed IgE levels were nearly the same in both the normal and low ferritin groups (55.6% vs. 54.8%). This difference was not significant (χ² = 0.089, p = 0.912). Also, Spearman’s test confirmed no correlation between the two measures (rho = 0.012, p = 0.883).In subgroups, boys had a significantly higher rate of high IgE than girls (62.5% compared to 43.5%; p = 0.032). Regarding age, high IgE was found in 47.7% of children aged 2-6 years, 56.9% aged 7-11 years, and 58.5% aged 12-16 years. However, these variations were not statistically significant (p = 0.645). Finally, patient atopy and family history showed no significant links to ferritin or IgE levels. Conclusion: Our study found no association between serum ferritin and total IgE levels in Libyan children with recurrent wheeze. However, the finding of male predominance in elevated IgE warrants more investigation. Further studies are needed to clarify nutrition-immunity interactions in pediatric respiratory diseases.
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