ALLERGODIP - A NEW DIPSTICK TEST FOR DETE CTION OF SPECIFIC IGE ANTIBODIES IN SERA FROM ALLERGIC PATIENTS IN COMPARISON WITH CAP, SKIN PRICK TEST AND CLINICAL HISTORY

Dipstick tests are the favored screening for in vitro diagnosis of spe cific IgE antibodies compared with well-known in vitro methods because of their simplicity. The Allergodip is a new screening dipstick with 9 multiallergen pads of a group of trees (flowering early and mid-seas on), cereals, grasses, weeds, mites, animals, moulds, and foods. Addit ionally these groups can be dismantled in individual components. The d ipstick contains a positive and a negative control pad to confirm the accurate carrying through of the test and the measured results. At the end of the test the positive control and the negative control must be colored deep blue, respectively, pure white. The allergen pad is asse ssed visually in the classes 0-4 with a color chart. The aim of our in vestigation was to compare the results of Allegodip, made with 50 sera from patients with inhalant allergies, with the results of CAP, skin prick test and clinic. From our investigation follows in 6 selected al lergen groups a concordance of 91.7% (86.1-97.8) to CAP, 90.8% (87.1-9 8.0) to Prick, and 79.3% (67-89) to the clinical relevance. All our re sults show that Allegodip is an important screening test for in vitro allergy diagnosis.