|
What is the role of the ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood
test in diagnosing and managing common illnesses?
Clinical presentations may overlap between allergic and non-allergic
illnesses, so a differential diagnosis of the underlying
cause is important to guide medical management of common
childhood illnesses and respiratory diseases. Accurate determination
of etiology is difficult to establish with an empirical assessment.
When used alone,
history and physical diagnose allergic disease only about
50% of the time.1 Further
inquiry is often necessary to provide an evidence-based diagnosis
and treatment regimen. Depending on symptom presentation,
most patients can be effectively tested with a single profile
of allergens.
Why should I incorporate this test into my practice?
If you treat children in primary care:
In your daily practice, you see young patients with
conditions such as eczema, colic, otitis media, and rhinitis.
As you may know, these and other illnesses can be caused
by allergy. In many cases, the appearance of such illnesses
signals a cascade toward asthma, also called the Allergy
March. In this Allergy March, symptoms may manifest from
food or inhalant sensitivities and cause a progression
of diseases from atopic dermatitis and gastrointestinal
complaints to recurrent ear infections, allergic rhinitis,
and ultimately asthma.2 In
fact, approximately 40% of infants with atopic dermatitis
may develop asthma by the age of 3 to 4 years.3 The
standard of care requires identifying the true cause of
the symptoms, because effective management of childhood
allergies holds significance not only for immediate symptom
relief, but also for long-term health.1 ImmunoCAP
Specific IgE blood testing provides quantitative evidence
that clearly demonstrates the appropriateness and value
of your patient’s
treatment plan. The right treatment decisions, based on
clinical evidence, mean appropriate use of antibiotics,
antihistamines, and intranasal steroids, fewer repeat office
visits, and fewer unnecessary referrals.4
Click here to
learn more about childhood diseases.
If you treat adults in primary care:
You routinely see patients who present with allergic rhinitis,
sinusitis, and non-allergic rhinitis. The source of
their symptoms may be viral, bacterial, or allergic, making
definitive diagnosis an essential step in determining appropriate
treatment. More than a nuisance, these conditions affect
tens of millions of Americans, have a significant impact
on quality of life, and result in billions of dollars
in direct and indirect costs.5 Allergy
awareness among the general population is at an all-time
high, and patients and clinicians want to get to the cause
of respiratory distress. ImmunoCAP provides quantitative
evidence that clearly demonstrates the appropriateness
and value of your patient’s treatment plan. The right
treatment decisions, based on clinical evidence, mean appropriate
use of antibiotics, antihistamines, and intranasal steroids,
fewer repeat office visits, and fewer unnecessary referrals.4
Click here to
learn more about upper respiratory diseases.
If you treat patients with asthma:
In asthma, allergies often play a central role in disease
onset and severity.6 Some
60% of adult asthmatics have allergic asthma,6,7 and
90% of children with asthma also have allergies.8 In
the management of asthma, trigger identification and control
is the primary step, as specified in expert guidelines
from the National Institutes of Health and the American
Academy of Family Physicians.9,10 ImmunoCAP
testing provides quantitative evidence to help you rule
atopy in or out and, with a positive result, can identify
specific allergic triggers for avoidance counseling.
Click here to
learn more about lower respiratory diseases.
Who should be tested?
In children:
While a child presenting with allergy-like symptoms is a
candidate for specific IgE testing, it is not likely that
every child with a rash or runny nose needs the test. ImmunoCAP
Specific IgE blood testing should be strongly considered
for all children with allergy-like symptoms deemed to be
persistent, recurrent, or severe, or for those in need of
continuous treatment for a particular illness.11
In adults:
While anyone presenting with nasal or other allergy-like
symptoms is a candidate for specific IgE testing, it is
not likely that everyone with a runny nose needs the test.
ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood testing should be strongly
considered for patients with
- Recurrent or chronic URD symptoms, ie, nasal congestion,
rhinorrhea, increased secretions12
- Exogenous asthma and other conditions in which IgE mediation
is suspected9,10
For more information, you may order these articles:
What are the specimen requirements?
40 microliters + dead volume is needed per allergen, so 1
serum separator tube or spun barrier tube (red top) is
required for a panel of allergens. EDTA plasma may also
be used (ImmunoCAP Specific IgE procedure). Specimens should
ship at room temperature and they can be stored at 2°-8°C
for up to 1 week.
Please contact your laboratory to determine the exact quantity
of sample they require per test.
At what age can a patient be tested?
This test may be run on patients 3 months of age or older.
Do patients need to stop taking medications in order
to be tested?
No. The ImmunoCAP Specific IgE blood test quantitatively
measures immunoglobulin E. Unlike skin testing, the assay
is not influenced by medications.
How often should a patient with allergies be tested with
ImmunoCAP?
Symptoms determine whether a patient should be re-tested.
However, sensitivity in children can change over time,1-3 so
repeated testing may be indicated to assess the progression
of the allergic sensitivities.13
Can I order an ImmunoCAP test for a single allergen?
Yes, but you may not get the whole allergic picture. Patients
are often sensitized to more than one allergen,14 so
a pre-selected profile will help you to detect the full
range of possible sensitivities. Also, allergy is a cumulative
threshold disease.13 Symptoms
of atopic illness are often triggered only after exposure
to multiple allergens. The patient who is sensitized to
more than one allergen crosses the symptomatic threshold
only after a cumulative allergic load has been reached.13
Back to top
|
