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Published on: May 2, 2013
[The 'Phadiatop Paediatric': a useful in-vitro test on an atopic immune response in infants and young children]
A W van Toorenenbergen1, A P Oranje, A M Vermeulen
1Afd. Klinische Chemie, laboratorium Allergologie, Academisch Ziekenhuis Rotterdam-Dijkzigt.
Insights
Phadiatop Paediatric is a new test for screening IgE antibodies in children. This study found it effectively identifies allergies in young children, suggesting underdiagnosis in some cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
- Diagnostic Test Evaluation
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE) Antibody Testing
Context:
- Allergic diseases are prevalent in infants and children.
- Accurate and early diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergies is crucial for effective management.
- Existing diagnostic methods may sometimes underdiagnose allergic responses in young children.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a new screening test, Phadiatop Paediatric, for IgE antibodies in children.
- To compare Phadiatop Paediatric results with conventional RAST (Radioallergosorbent test) assays.
- To assess the potential for underdiagnosis of allergies using standard testing protocols.
Summary:
- Phadiatop Paediatric, containing relevant food and inhalant allergens for children, was tested on 180 sera from children under five.
- The test showed a higher positive rate (135 sera) compared to combined Phadiatop and mixed-food-RAST (116 sera).
- 22% of sera negative by initial physician-requested RASTs were positive by both Phadiatop Paediatric and a mixed-food-RAST, indicating potential underdiagnosis.
Impact:
- Phadiatop Paediatric demonstrates potential as a sensitive screening tool for pediatric allergies.
- The findings suggest that this new test can identify IgE antibody responses missed by conventional RASTs.
- Improved allergy screening in children can lead to earlier intervention and better health outcomes.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate a new test for IgE antibody screening in children--the Phadiatop Paediatric. The mixture of allergens in this test contains the food and inhalant allergens for infants and children most relevant. 180 sera were selected from samples submitted for routine diagnostic IgE antibody assay. 91% of these sera were from children less than 5 year old. Half the sera were positive in RASTs that were initially requested by the physicians and the highest RAST scores for each serum were equally distributed over the range RAST class 1-4. 20 control sera were from children 1-4 years old. Results of the Phadiatop Paediatric were compared with results of the combination 'Phadiatop + mixed-food-RAST'. 22% of the sera that were negative in all RASTs that were initially requested by the physicians were positive in both tests. This suggests that an IgE antibody response to food components or inhalants was underdiagnosed in these cases. Whereas 135 sera were found positive in the Phadiatop Paediatric, only 116 sera had a positive Phadiatop result and/or a result of the mixed-food-RAST that was RAST class 1 (greater than or equal to 0.35 PRU/ml) or higher. In 11 of 16 sera with RAST class 0/1 (0.18-0.35 PRU/ml) in the mixed-food-RAST specific IgE against individual food allergens with RAST class 1 or higher could be demonstrated. Results of Phadiatop and Phadiatop Paediatric were not only expressed as 'positive' or 'negative', but also as a serum:reference ratio. Clinical documentation was collected retrospectively from the written case reports of 171 children.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
