Allergy Testing in Childhood: Using Allergen-Specific IgE Tests

A variety of triggers can induce common pediatric allergic diseases which include asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and anaphylaxis. Allergy testing serves to confirm an allergic trigger suspected on the basis of history. Tests for allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 2012, Vol.129 (1), p.193-197
Main Authors: SICHERER, Scott H, WOOD, Robert A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allergens - immunology
Allergies
Allergy
Allergy in children
Allergy tests
Biological and medical sciences
Care and treatment
Child
Child development
Cross Reactions
Diagnosis
Dosage and administration
Drug therapy
Food Hypersensitivity - diagnosis
General aspects
Humans
Hypersensitivity - diagnosis
Immunoglobulin E - analysis
Immunoglobulins
Immunotherapy
Infant
Medical sciences
Medical tests
Methods
Pediatric allergy
Pediatrics
Prevention and actions
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Respiratory Hypersensitivity - diagnosis
Testing
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Summary:A variety of triggers can induce common pediatric allergic diseases which include asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and anaphylaxis. Allergy testing serves to confirm an allergic trigger suspected on the basis of history. Tests for allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) are performed by in vitro assays or skin tests. The tests are excellent for identifying a sensitized state in which allergen-specific IgE is present, and may identify triggers to be eliminated and help guide immunotherapy treatment. However, a positive test result does not always equate with clinical allergy. Newer enzymatic assays based on anti-IgE antibodies have supplanted the radioallergosorbent test (RAST). This clinical report focuses on allergen-specific IgE testing, emphasizing that the medical history and knowledge of disease characteristics are crucial for rational test selection and interpretation.
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.2011-2382