title: Comparison between skin testing and in vitro testing for diagnosis of allergen in asthmatic children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to compare the skin testing and in vitro testing for the diagnosis of most common inhalant allergens in asthmatic children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two asthmatic children positive to most common allergens in the area of skin tests and multiple allergosorbent chemiluminescent assay (MAST-CLA) were subjected to another Pharmacia CAP test (CAP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The agreement between the results of MAST-CLA and CAP was variable. The correlation coefficient for CAP with MAST-CLA was significant for five allergens except candida, dog dander and Willow pollen when the diagnostic levels of MAST-CLA and CAP were compared with skin test reactions. For all the allergens tested, MAST-CLA showed a sensitivity of 51%, a specificity of 84% and an efficiency of 73%, compared with 57%, 80% and 74%, respectively, in the CAP analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MAST-CLA and CAP can be used as a screening test to measure allergen IgE level. Both MAST-CLA and CAP were comparable in their ability to diagnose of allergy to tested allergens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011852:Radioallergosorbent Test; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens