IgE testing

IgE testing is an essential tool in the diagnosis of allergy disorders. Patients who experience symptoms, upon exposure to an allergen and produce IgE antibodies that specifically recognize that allergen, have a type 1 immediate allergic reaction. Although skin testing for IgE-mediated allergy is commonly used today, serum-based testing offers several advantages.

  • Serum-based IgE testing poses no risk of an allergic reaction and thus may be preferred when the risk of an allergic reaction in response to skin testing may not be acceptable. One example is suspected sensitivities to allergens associated with severe anaphylactic reactions (such as latex).
  • Serum-based IgE testing is not affected by medications the patient may be taking. Antihistamines and some antidepressants are examples of medications that may confound the results of skin testing.
  • Serum-based IgE testing is not reliant on skin integrity or affected by skin disease. Serum-based IgE testing may be more convenient for the patient, since it does not require a separate visit.

Indications for serum-based IgE testing

  • Skin test is negative, despite clinical suspicion of allergy
  • The suspected allergen is not available as extracts for skin testing (e.g., industrial chemicals)
  • Skin conditions (e.g., eczema) preclude skin testing
  • Current medications (e.g., antihistamines or tricyclic antidepressants) interfere with skin-test results
  • The patient is being evaluated for immunotherapy
  • There is a risk of anaphylaxis with exposure to allergens

Serum-based IgE testing in immunotherapy treatment

The safety and efficacy of inhalant allergen immunotherapy based on allergen-specific IgE levels using HYCOR technology was demonstrated in a 22-year prospective clinical study involving 480 perennial allergic rhinitis patients, including 96 with concomitant asthma. The study concluded that “use of quantitative testing technique can be helpful to clinicians and patients by predicting the potential for strong reactions to immunotherapy, and by allowing individualized treatment doses tailored to each patient’s specific levels of allergen sensitivities. The result is an effective and safe treatment program.”1

  1. Yeoh KH et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 131(5):673-678, 2004.