Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 3, 2026
Basophil Activation Test for Allergy Diagnosis
Published on: May 31, 2021
Improved recombinant Api m 1- and Ves v 5-based IgE testing to dissect bee and yellow jacket allergy and their
J Šelb1, R Kogovšek1, M Šilar1
1University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases Golnik, Golnik, Slovenia.
Background:
No study has assessed the diagnostic sensitivity of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 on Immulite testing system.
Objective:
To compare the diagnostic sensitivity of commercially available venom recombinant allergens between the currently available immunoassays [ImmunoCAP (CAP) and Immulite (LITE)] and establish their correlation with the severity of the sting reaction.
Methods:
This study evaluated 95 bee venom and 110 yellow jacket venom-allergic subjects. We measured the levels of sIgE to rApi m 1, rVes v 5 (LITE and CAP), rApi m 2 (LITE), rVes v 1 (CAP) and total IgE (CAP). Forty-nine healthy subjects served as controls.
Results:
The diagnostic sensitivity of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 was significantly higher with the LITE than with the CAP system (71% vs. 88% and 82% vs. 93%). The specificity of both assays for both allergens was between 94% and 98%. Twenty-nine patients that tested negative for rApi m 1 or rVes v 5 with CAP were positive with LITE, but none of the patients that tested negative with LITE were positive with CAP. The positive values of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 were on average 2.7 and 2.3 times higher, with the LITE than with the CAP system. The combination of rApi m 1 and rApi m 2 (LITE) and the combination of rVes v 5 (LITE) and rVes v 1 (CAP) almost matched the sensitivity of native venoms (95% and 97%, respectively), whereas the diagnostic sensitivity of the combination of rVes v 5 and rVes v 1 (CAP) did not reach the sensitivity of rVes v 5 (LITE) alone (90% vs. 93%). IgE levels to venom recombinants and total IgE did not correlate with the severity of sting reaction.
Conclusions & Clinical Relevance:
The use of rApi m 1 and rVes v 5 with the LITE system significantly enhanced diagnostic utility of venom recombinants and should improve the dissection of bee and yellow jacket venom allergy.
