Classification of Wheezing Children in Rural Bangladesh by Intensity of Ascaris Infection, Total and Specific IgE Levels, History of Pneumonia, and Other Risk Factors

Table 2

Comparisons of serum IgE levels, helminth infections, and pneumonia history among the three groups.

	Total	Cluster 1	Cluster 2	Cluster 3		Never-wheezing
(%)	196 (100)	50 (25.5)	114 (58.2)	32 (16.3)	=	122
Total IgE (IU/ml)		13598	3705	3959	<0.001	3686
Specific IgE (UA/ml)
Anti-Ascaris IgE	30.8	62.5	20.3	24.8	<0.001	14.9
Anti-Dp IgE	4.1	7.8	1.8	2.7	<0.001	1.8
Anticockroach IgE	4.2	8.1	2.3	4.0	<0.001	2.8
Helminth infection	199
Ascaris egg (+) (%)	152 (76.4)	39 (78.0)	88 (77.2)	23 (71.9)	0.789	78 (71.6)
(+++) (%)	71 (35.7)	21 (42.0)	43 (37.7)	7 (21.9)	0.158	32 (29.4)
Trichuris (+) (%)	100 (50.3)	22 (44.0)	56 (49.1)	20 (62.5)	0.252	66 (60.6)
Pneumonia history (+) (%)
At 0 years	56 (25.6)	6 (12.0)	31 (27.2)	12 (37.5)	0.024	16 (13.1)
1 year	44 (20.1)	2 (4.0)	21 (18.4)	18 (56.3)	<0.001	4 (3.3)
2 years	38 (16.4)	2 (4.0)	0 (0.0)	32 (100)	<0.001	2 (2.0)

IgE: immunoglobulin E; Dp: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.