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Basophil Activation Test for Allergy Diagnosis
Published on: May 31, 2021
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Integrated Diagnostic Approach Using Basophil Activation Test and IgE Assays for Shrimp and Prawn Allergy
Nhu N Q Nguyen1, Thao H Nguyen2, Minh K Le1
1Center for Molecular Biomedicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam.
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
|June 27, 2025
Summary
The basophil activation test (BAT) accurately diagnoses shrimp and prawn allergies, outperforming skin prick tests and specific IgE. This allergy test improves diagnosis, especially when other tests are negative.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Allergy Diagnostics
Background:
- Shellfish allergies are prevalent in Vietnam.
- The basophil activation test (BAT) is a valuable tool for diagnosing food allergies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of BAT in diagnosing shrimp and prawn allergies.
- To compare BAT with skin prick tests (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) measurements.
Main Methods:
- Recruited adult patients with shrimp or prawn allergies.
- Performed BAT using crude extracts of black tiger shrimp and giant freshwater prawn.
- Recorded basophil CD63 expression, SPT results, and sIgE levels.
- Utilized Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine diagnostic accuracy.
Main Results:
- Basophil CD63 expression significantly increased in allergic subjects (p < 0.05).
- BAT demonstrated superior diagnostic performance compared to SPT and sIgE for both shrimp and prawn allergies (AUCs 0.88 and 0.74, respectively).
- BAT improved diagnostic accuracy, particularly in cases with negative SPT/sIgE results, and accurately identified shrimp allergy in prawn-allergic subjects (100%).
Conclusions:
- BAT is an effective method for predicting clinical reactions to shrimp and prawn.
- BAT enhances diagnostic accuracy for shellfish allergies, especially when conventional tests are inconclusive.
- The basophil activation test offers a reliable approach to diagnosing food allergies.
