[Value of intradermal skin test and serum sIgE detection in diagnosing artemisia pollinosis].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of intradermal skin test (IDT) and serum sIgE detection in diagnosing Artemisia sensitivity in Chinese patients with autumnal hay fever.


METHODS
1150 patients with autumnal rhinitis or asthma, 504 males and 646 females, aged 5 approximately 77, were evaluated by experienced physicians, then underwent IDT by using 20 kinds of aeroallergen extracts. The concentrations of Artemisia and Ragweed extracts employed in skin test were 1:1000 (W/V) and the concentrations of other aeroallergens were all 1:100 (W/V). Then all patients underwent detection of Artemisia sIgE. Diagnostic standards were established based on the results of IDT and sIgE results respectively. A reference standard was established according to the typical history, symptoms, and an wheal with a diameter >or= 5mm and a sIgE level >or= 0.35 kU(A)/L, an wheal with the diameter >or= 10 mm alone; or a sIgE level >or= 0.70 kUa/L alone.


RESULTS
When using the reference standard as criteria, using IDT had better sensitivity (96.2%), specificity (74.2%), positive predictive value (+PV, 93.5%), negative predictive value (-PV, 85.7%), and efficiency (91.6%) than using sIgE >or= 0.35 kUa/L alone as the criteria of IDT; sIgE detection had better sensitivity (97.6%), specificity (94.9%), +PV (98.7%), -PV (91.1%), and efficiency (97.0%) than using wheal diameter >or= 5 mm alone as the criteria of sIgE detection. The false positive rate of IDT and sIgE detection decreased from 35% and 22.7% to 25.6% and 5.1% respectively when using the wheal diameter >or= 10 mm or sIgE >or= 0.70 kUa/L as a positive criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
IDT and sIgE detection are correlated with each other well in diagnosing Artemisia pollinosis, both of them have the possibility of being false positive, but IDT has higher false positive rate than sIgE detection. The false positive rates of IDT and sIgE detection can be decreased by increasing the positive criteria to higher grading reaction.
Yin
Jia
J
Department of Allergy, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
He
Hai-juan
HJ
Wang
Rui-qi
RQ
Xu
Tao
T
Yue
Feng-min
FM
Wang
Liang-lu
LL
Zhang
Hong-yu
HY
Ye
Shi-tai
ST
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000485:Allergens / Q000097:blood*; D019306:Artemisia / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D007428:Intradermal Tests / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis*
D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E