title: Screening for IgE-mediated allergy.
abstract: Sera from 425 patients were analysed with Phadebas RAST reagents against a panel of 19 allergens and the most commonly positive results were to grass pollen, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and cat epithelium. Of the 275 sera RAST-positive to any allergen, 261 were positive by a RAST technique which used a mixture of the three most common U.K. allergens; the remainder were usually positive to a mould. We conclude that 1) when a positive result is obtained after screening by the mixed-allergen RAST and a representative mould RAST, then other positive RAST results are possible, but that the extent of the investigation can be guided by a knowledge of the total serum IgE level and a computer-based history analysis; 2) when a mixed-allergen RAST and a representative mould RAST is negative, then a more specified RAST including all 19 allergens used in this investigation will be negative; 3) a positive mixed-allergen RAST result is likely to be associated with a total serum IgE level over 40 U/ml and a positive symptom pattern score derived from the computer-based history analysis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E