Allergy testing using degranulation of basophils and flow cytometry

The Technicon H6000 hematology system was evaluated as a detector for the allergen-induced basophil degranulation reaction in whole blood samples from individuals with type I allergy. Diluted standard skin prick test allergen extracts were added into heparin-EDTA blood samples in presence and absence of free calcium ions and the H6000 basophil channel scattergram was used with a modification of the method for basophil counting. In one experiment only 250 microliters of blood was used for each allergen to be tested. The result correlated well to skin prick test and RAST results. The conclusions are that the H6000 is suitable for allergy testing using whole blood from patients, if the basophil channel is modified, and that the Technicon H1 system probably also is possible to use as a detector for basophil degranulation studies.