南予医学雑誌　第18巻

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南予医誌　Vol.18　No. １　2017－39－　　　原　　著受稿日　平成29年９月６日受理日　平成29年９月27日To whom correspondence should be addressed:Shozo Miyauchi, MD., Ph.D.Department of Internal Medicine, Uwajima City Hospital, Uwajima, Ehime 798-8510, Japan.Abstract　Elevation of immunoglobulin E（IgE）levels is observed in allergic diseases and is con-sidered an important factor in the pathogenesis of Graves’ disease．Increase in IgE levels and onset and recurrence of Graves’ thyrotoxicosis have been observed after attacks of seasonal allergic rhinitis induced by exposure to seasonal allergens．To evaluate dis-ease onset and treatment response and perform prognosis prediction in Graves’ disease patients， it is thus important to assess serum IgE levels appropriately．Despite recogni-tion of their importance， few studies have examined seasonal differences in IgE levels in Graves’ disease patients or whether these levels vary by season．To ll this gap in the ex-isting literature， this study investigated whether IgE levels as measured at the rst visit of 110 patients with untreated Graves’ disease differed by season and sex．Division of the patients into groups by season revealed signicantly higher IgE levels in the spring group compared to the summer group in all patients．Further division of the patients by sex revealed signicantly higher IgE levels in the spring and autumn groups compared to the summer group in female patients but not male patients．These results suggest that not only spring but also autumn allergens might affect the clinical course of Graves’ disease in female patients．（Nan-yo Med J 2017; 18: 39-44.）Key words：Graves’ disease， immunoglobulin E， seasonal rhinitis．　Seasonal differences of serum Immunoglobu-lin E levels at the first visit in patients with Graves’ diseaseShozo MIYAUCHI1), Toru EGUCHI2) and Masumi MIYAZAKI1)1) Department of Internal Medicine, Uwajima City Hospital, Uwajima, Ehime 798-8510, Japan2) Department of Diabetology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shimonoseki City Hospital, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan