Component-resolved allergy diagnosis: a new era?

During the last decades a new in vitro technique has entered the field of allergy diagnosis, that is, component-resolved allergy diagnosis (CRD). In contrast to traditional specific IgE (sIgE) assays, CRD does not rely upon whole extract preparations from native allergens but on quantification of sIgE antibodies to single protein components, purified from natural sources or obtained by recombinant techniques. At present, it emerges that CRD can improve management of the allergic patient as it allows (to some extent) to discriminate between clinically significant and irrelevant sIgE result and to establish sensitization patterns with particular prognostic outcomes. Nevertheless, further clinical validation is mandatory before the technique can enter mainstream application. By no means can CRD currently be considered as a substitute to traditional sIgE assays.