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Skin-prick tests for hypersensitivity to alpha-amylase preparations
I Moneo1, E Alday, L Sanchez-Agudo
1Centro de Investigación Clinica, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England)
|June 1, 1995
Summary
Skin prick tests are sensitive but not specific for diagnosing alpha-amylase hypersensitivity in asthma patients. Contaminants in enzyme preparations can also cause allergic reactions, complicating diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Allergy
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Alpha-amylase hypersensitivity is a potential occupational allergen.
- Asthma patients may exhibit hypersensitivity to various enzymes used in industrial settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of different methods for alpha-amylase hypersensitivity.
- To identify potential cross-reactive allergens and contaminants in enzyme preparations.
Main Methods:
- Skin-prick tests (SPT)
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- Immunoblotting
- Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)
- Bronchial provocation tests (BPT)
Main Results:
- Eight out of twenty-five asthmatic subjects showed a positive bronchial response to amylase.
- Skin prick tests were the most sensitive diagnostic method, but lacked specificity.
- ELISA and immunoblotting demonstrated comparable sensitivity and specificity.
- Contaminants in enzyme preparations, including wheat flour extract proteins and culture medium components, were identified as potential allergens.
Conclusions:
- Skin prick tests are a sensitive but not fully specific method for diagnosing amylase-induced asthma.
- Allergenic contaminants in industrial enzyme preparations can lead to misdiagnosis.
- Further investigation is needed to differentiate true amylase hypersensitivity from reactions to contaminants.