BROOKLYN -- A SUNY DOWNSTATE study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) - a blood antibody responsible for many allergic reactions - are associated with increased asthma severity and obesity in adults with moderate asthma.

Analyzing 66 Brooklyn residents, researchers observed that those with higher IgE levels had greater pulmonary obstruction and higher body mass index than those without the allergic sensitization associated with high levels of the antibody.