A 16-year-old girl develops shortness of breath,runny nose,wheezing,and chest tightening with no fever.A spirometry test is performed and reveals that her FEV₁ is reduced and the ratio of FEV₁ to FVC is abnormal.Her FEV₁ improves by 15% after bronchodilator use.A chest radiograph is also obtained.The family mentions that they purchased a cat several weeks ago.You suspect allergic asthma. Increased levels of what type of serum antibody would you like to see to confirm your diagnosis? A)Immunoglobulin A (IgA) B)IgG C)IgM D)IgE E)IgD

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Allergic asthma is a type of asthma triggered by an immune response to an allergen. In this case, the cat may be the allergen responsible for triggering the asthma symptoms. IgE is the serum antibody responsible for allergic reactions, including allergic asthma. Increased levels of IgE would support the diagnosis of allergic asthma.

A 16-Year-Old Girl Develops Shortness of Breath,runny Nose,wheezing,and Chest Tightening