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In vitro allergy investigation: Does a multiple allergen testing system give useful information?
David Sinclair1, Myk Saas, L John Cook
1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UK. david.sinclair@porthosp.nhs.uk
Clinical Laboratory
|August 27, 2005
Summary
The Hitachi CLA allergy test identifies more allergens than the standard Pharmacia UNICAP system. This advanced allergy testing provides crucial data for managing Type I hypersensitivity patients.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Diagnostic Medicine
Background:
- The Hitachi CLA allergy test offers comprehensive individual allergen results.
- Current standard practice involves total IgE and 4 specific IgE tests using the Pharmacia UNICAP system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Hitachi CLA allergy test on patient management.
- To compare the diagnostic yield of the CLA system versus the standard Pharmacia UNICAP protocol.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 54 patients with suspected Type I hypersensitivity.
- All patient samples were tested using both the Pharmacia UNICAP system and the Hitachi CLA system.
Main Results:
- The CLA system identified additional significant allergens in 22/54 patients compared to the standard protocol.
- Multiple positive allergens were detected in 13/54 cases, and differing clinically useful information was found in 4/54 patients.
Conclusions:
- The Hitachi CLA multiple allergen testing system enhances the identification of significant allergens.
- It aids in diagnosing unlikely Type I allergic reactions and managing patients with multiple positive results.