title: Diagnostic value of the ISAC(®) allergy chip in detecting latex sensitizations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Latex allergy can be diagnosed by different test methods such as IgE quantification, Western blot, cellular antigen stimulation test (CAST), and in vivo methods [e.g. skin prick test (SPT)]. Phadia provides two modern methods using recombinant latex allergens: ImmunoCAP(®) and the Immuno Solid-phase Allergen Chip (ISAC(®)), which enables simultaneous determination of specific IgE against five latex allergens. We compared the diagnostic sensitivity of the ISAC(®) test kit and the conventional Hev b 5-spiked ImmunoCAP(®) latex extract.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty sera were sampled from subjects with suspected natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy. These patients had positive SPT to NRL extract, positive NRL Western blots, and positive results in the CAST. All sera were analysed using the ISAC(®) and recombinant NRL ImmunoCAP(®) allergens and compared to the results of 20 negative control sera.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 22 of the 40 subjects (55 %) showed positivity to at least one latex allergen on the ISAC(®) (sensitivity ISAC(®) 55 %). The sensitivity of the ImmunoCAP(®) latex extract was 70 %. The most frequently detected sensitization was against Hev b 6.01 (n = 12). When the serum samples were tested with all recombinant ImmunoCAP(®) allergens, three additional sensitizations against latex could be detected compared to the ISAC(®).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microarrays do offer many potential benefits such as elegant simultaneous determination of sensitizations against different NRL allergens with minimal amounts of serum. However, a negative NRL test result should be regarded with caution and at least be confirmed by other in vitro methods.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Jena University Hospital, Erfurter Straße 35, 07740, Jena, Germany.
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Seyfarth
authors: Sibylle
authors: S
authors: Schliemann
authors: Cornelia
authors: C
authors: Wiegand
authors: Uta-Christina
authors: UC
authors: Hipler
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Elsner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E