title: Comparative evaluation of RAST and MAST-CLA for six allergens for the diagnosis of inhalant allergic disease in 232 patients.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: Service of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scolozzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vicentini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boccafogli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camerani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pradella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavallini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bagni
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens