IgE and Eosinophilia in Newly Arrived Refugees in Denmark: A Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence and Clinical Management in Primary Care

Refugees have different disease patterns than the population in receiving countries. Furthermore, refugees face barriers to accessing health care services and treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of eosinophilia and elevated IgE levels in refugees and assess the clinical follow-up. Using a cross-sectional study design, we offered health assessments, including eosinophil count and IgE level measurements, to all newly arrived refugees in a Danish municipality from January 2016 to November 2018. In a subgroup, we assessed the clinical follow-up. The study population consisted of 793 refugees, all of whom had eosinophil counts measured, with 411 also having IgE levels measured. Notably, 48.6% were female and most participants originated from Syria, Eritrea, Iran or Afghanistan, with smaller representation from several other countries. Notably, 6.8% had eosinophilia and 32.1% had elevated IgE levels. Syrian origin was associated with a lower prevalence of both biomarkers, and Eritrean origin with a higher prevalence. In a subgroup of 116 participants with abnormal results, general practitioners brought attention to the elevated levels in 50.9% of the cases, and 31.0% of these received a diagnosis related to the findings. In total, 98.3% (114) of patients in the subgroup had contact with their GP following the health assessment. In refugees, eosinophilia and elevated IgE levels are common conditions, and underlying causes are often not diagnosed, potentially leading to inadequate treatment and worse health outcomes.