PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Peter Tomassen AU - Claus Bachert AU - Peter Burney AU - Deborah Jarvis TI - Late-breaking abstract: Association of asthma with IgE to staphylococcal enterotoxins in a GA<sup>2</sup>LEN population based case-control study DP - 2011 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - 3223 VI - 38 IP - Suppl 55 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/3223.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/3223.full SO - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38 AB - Introduction: Presence of specific immunoglobulin E for staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE-IgE) in serum has been associated with severe asthma and nasal polyposis, but the prevalence and link to asthma in the general population has never been studied. We aimed to determine the prevalence of serum SE-IgE, and to study the association with asthma in the general population.Methods: The GA2LEN Survey Follow-Up group conducted a multi-center case-control study in 18 centers across Europe. Subjects were sampled from a preceding cross-sectional survey in 4 groups (controls, asthmatics, chronic rhinosinusitis subjects, and those having both). Subjects answered questionnaires, underwent spirometry and skin prick testing for common allergens, and serum SE-IgE was measured. Analyses were weighted for sampling, using inverse probability weights.Results: 3505 subjects participated, of which 2908 in 15 centers provided complete information and blood samples. The weighted overall prevalence of asthma was 10.6%, and the prevalence of SE-IgE &gt;0.10 kU/L was 29.3%. SE-IgE was significantly associated with the presence of asthma, adjusting for age, sex, allergy and smoking history. The strength of the association was dependent of the SE-IgE concentration (odds ratio 1.01; 1.33; 1.54 in the first, second and third tertiles). The association was not modified by the presence of a positive skin prick test or tobacco smoking.Conclusion: Presence of IgE to Staphylococcal enterotoxins is highly prevalent, and is associated with asthma in the general population across Europe. These findings open perspectives on a role for bacterial superantigens in the pathogenesis of asthma.