COMPARISON OF SKIN-PRICK TEST AND SPECIFIC SERUM IGE DETERMINATION FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF LATEX ALLERGY

Background Latex IgE-mediated hypersensitivity has been recognized as an international health problem. However, there is poor information on the efficiency of the diagnostic methods available. Objective The pur pose of this study was to specify the efficiency of several diagnostic methods for latex allergy. Methods We designed a prospective study in volving 50 adult patients with latex allergy, as diagnosed by a sugges tive clinical history and a positive skin-prick test (SPT) to a latex extract. One control group of 50 subjects paired for age, sex, total I gE levels and latex exposure, and another control group of 30 subjects with pollen allergy were used. A low-ammoniated natural-latex and sev eral glove-latex extracts were elaborated. SPTs with these extracts, a s well as with four different commercial-latex extracts were performed . Latex-specific serum IgE was determined by the CAP and the AlaSTAT m ethods. Results Diagnostic sensitivity was 98% for the natural-latex e xtract SPT, from 90% to 98% for the commercial-latex extract SPT, and from 64% to 96% for the glove-latex extract SPT. Diagnostic specificit y of SPT was 100%, and no severe adverse reactions were observed durin g skin testing. With respect to the latex-specific serum IgE determina tions, sensitivity was 86% for the CAP system and 84% for the AlaSTAT assay, and specificity was dependent on the population considered. Con clusion SPT with natural latex extracts has shown a diagnostic efficie ncy close to 100%, significantly higher than that of latex-specific se rum IgE determination.