CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF A NEW QUANTITATIVE METHOD FOR SPECIFIC IGE ANTIBODIES

We studied the analytical and clinical efficiency of a ''second genera tion'' technique for the in vitro determination of specific IgE, the s o-called CARLA system (Capture Assay Radim Liquid Allergen). Reproduci bility studies demonstrated satisfactory intra- and inter-assay analyt ical imprecision. The linearity test gave good results, and no signifi cant interference by non-specific total IgE was found. The diagnostic efficiency of the system for the five most representative aeroallergen s (D1, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus; E1, Cat's epithelium; G5, Loliu m perenne; W19, Parietaria officinalis and W5, Arthemisia absinthium) was evaluated using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analys is in eighty-nine patients with suspected inhalant allergies. For each aeroallergen the area under the ROC curve and the most efficient thre shold were calculated. Satisfactory areas under the ROC curve were fou nd for D1, G5, E1 and W19, while a lower diagnostic efficiency was obs erved for W5. The most efficient thresholds differed from one allergen to another, although the differences were not great.