INTERLABORATORY EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC ALLERGY LABORATORY

Citation
R. Fifield et Rg. Hamilton, INTERLABORATORY EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC ALLERGY LABORATORY, Journal of clinical immunoassay, 16(2), 1993, pp. 144-152
Citations number
NO
Categorie Soggetti
Immunology
ISSN journal
07364393
Volume
16
Issue
2
Year of publication
1993
Pages
144 - 152
Database
ISI
SICI code
0736-4393(1993)16:2<144:IEQAPF>2.0.ZU;2-E
Abstract
Two external quality assurance programs, the College of American Patho logists (CAP) SE Survey and the European External Quality Assessment S cheme (EUROEQAS), are conducted to evaluate the overall performance of diagnostic allergy laboratories that measure allergen-specific immuno globulin E (IgE) antibody. These surveys involve the analysis of three to five coded human serum specimens per cycle, 3 to 8 cycles per year by 250-300 laboratories. Agreement of IgE antibody results in both qu alitative (class) and semiquantitative (arbitrary units) results are c ompared within methods. At present, the arbitrary nature of the calibr ation and scoring systems prevents rigorous interassay cross-compariso ns of assay results. Laboratories producing false-positive and false-n egative IgE antibody results with one of the commercially available cl inical immunoassays can be identified using sera from either nonatopic individuals or preselected sera from allergic individuals with IgE an tibody to allergen specificities of interest. The general design and r epresentative results from the CAP-SE and EUROEQAS proficiency surveys are presented.