Comparative evaluation of RAST and MAST-CLA for six allergens for the diagnosis of inhalant allergic disease in 232 patients.
The aim of this study was to compare a recent multiple allergosorbent chemiluminescent assay (MAST-CLA) with the RAST for the diagnosis of inhalant allergic disease in 232 patients with rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma. As judged by concordance of clinical history, skin prick tests to a range of six allergens common to our geographic area, and by nasal provocation tests, 70 patients were non-allergic and 162 allergic: 70 to grasses, 46 to mites, four to mugwort, eight to pellitory, and 34 were sensitive to several allergens. In our patient sample that, among other things, comprises subjects with fairly rare monoallergies, MAST-CLA testing gave results which closely corresponded to positive RAST for the allergens studied, and demonstrated a close correlation with the diagnosis of inhalant-specific allergy. Our results showed that, for overall allergens, MAST-CLA was lightly less sensitive and more specific than RAST (the two in vitro tests gave an identical overall efficiency).
Scolozzi
R
R
Service of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Ferrara, Italy.
Vicentini
L
L
Boccafogli
A
A
Camerani
A
A
Pradella
R
R
Cavallini
A
A
Bagni
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites / Q000276:immunology; D010944:Plants / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test / Q000592:standards*; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000485:Allergens