In 152 healthy children living in Samsun and its environs, the serum IgE and total eosinophil counts in peripheral blood were determined. Children whose ages ranged between 0 to 15 were classified into eight groups according to age. When comparing all the age groups together, the serum IgE and total eosinophil levels in the peripheral blood were found to range between 11.8 to 334 IU/ml and 100 to 600/mm³, respectively. In the 12-year-old age-group, the IgE values were at a maximum level. The total eosinophil counts in peripheral blood formed a peak in the 13-15 year-old age-group. In this study, the importance of the assessment of serum IgE levels and total eosinophil counts in the peripheral blood in healthy children and in the diagnosis of atopic diseases has been emphasized.

Keywords: immunoglobulin E, total eosinophil count