Abstract
The basis of any diagnosis of allergy requires a good history and examination, which should then provide a certain degree of confidence as to whether or not allergy is present. However, the diagnosis cannot be confirmed on the basis of symptoms alone, because both allergic and non-allergic conditions can present with similar symptoms. Based on prevalence figures, about half of the patients presenting with allergic symptoms in primary care may be non-allergic. Therefore, allergy testing in the form of specific IgE (sIgE) measurement and/or skin prick testing is an invaluable aid in demonstrating both the presence and severity of such an allergy. The usefulness of such tests extends beyond just the positive or negative result. Often, more information can be gleaned by using the test results in a form of a continuous variable in order to determine the likelihood that allergy can be attributed as an explanation for patients’ symptoms and disease. In this review, we describe the rationale for utilising specific IgE antibody tests in diagnosing allergy. Furthermore, to optimize the information gained from allergy testing, we describe how to employ one particular well-validated IgE testing system for determining the likelihood that an individual patient's disease can be attributed to allergy.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ahlstedt, S., Murray, C. In vitro diagnosis of allergy: how to interpret IgE antibody results in clinical practice. Prim Care Respir J 15, 228–236 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrj.2006.05.004
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcrj.2006.05.004
This article is cited by
-
Diagnostic validity of specific immunoglobulin E levels to alpha-gal in alpha-gal syndrome: a cross-sectional analysis
Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology (2023)
-
Predictive characteristics to discriminate the longitudinal outcomes of childhood asthma: a retrospective program-based study
Pediatric Research (2022)
-
Usefulness of Biomarkers in Work-Related Airway Disease
Current Treatment Options in Allergy (2017)
-
Agreement of specific IgE and skin prick test in an unselected cohort of two-year-old children
European Journal of Pediatrics (2012)