title: Confirmation of the diagnosis of natural rubber latex allergy by the Basotest method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The flow cytometry CD63-based basophil activation test (Basotest has already been validated for the diagnosis of immediate-type allergy such as venom, house dust mite or cypress pollen allergies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance (specificity and sensitivity) of Basotest in the diagnosis of natural rubber latex allergy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 46 latex allergic patients (clinical symptoms of latex allergy, positive latex skin prick tests and/or latex specific IgE) and 33 control subjects and performed Basotest on all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of Basotest were 84.8 and 87.9%, respectively, when we considered the theoretic cut-off at 15% of CD63-positive cells. Using ROC curves, the optimal cut-off was evaluated at 22%, for which sensitivity and specificity were 79.3 and 96.7%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Basotest is a reliable test in addition to clinical history and tests already validated (such as skin prick tests and specific IgE) to confirm the diagnosis of natural rubber latex allergy.
authors.affiliation: Unit, Service des maladies respiratoires, Hôpital Arnaud-de-Villeneuve, Montpellier, France. ml-hemery@chu-montpellier.fr
authors.forename: Marie-Laure
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hemery
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arnoux
authors.forename: Henriette
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dhivert-Donnadieu
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rongier
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barbotte
authors.forename: Regis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verdier
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demoly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007159:Immunologic Tests / Q000379:methods*; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E