Comparison of an inhalant allergy immunoassay with allergen specific IgE determinations in human serum

The diagnosis of inhalant allergy can be elusive, with symptoms resembling viral or bacterial infection, as well as immunologic deficiency. In this study an inhalant allergy immunoassay was investigated as a possible screen to rule in or out respiratory inhalant allergy in patients with allergic-type symptoms. The results of this screen were compared in 192 serum specimens submitted to our laboratory for specific IgE allergy testing and 73 blood bank samples. When the discrepant results of the inhalant allergy immunoassay were resolved by Western blot, a final sensitivity of 94.7% and specificity of 97.5% was calculated. We have found this inhalant allergy immunoassay to be an effective screen for detecting inhalant allergies, and believe it to be a useful tool for the primary care physician or non-allergist trying to differentiate inhalant allergens from chronic sinusitis or other causes of sinopulmonary congestion.