ImmunoCAP allergy test?

[mytwomonkies]

Has anyone had this done with their LO? Is it the same as the Elisa test or is that different? With this test would you have to be consuming the allergy for it to be accurate? DD2 who is 21 months has an allergy appt May 10th and I'm just trying to prepare myself and know what tests to ask about and questions to ask. We have been dealing with what we've called "food intolerances" ever since she was about 2 months. We're now suspecting that she may have some true allergies :(

[scsigrl]

It's commonly said that ANY of the tests are not "as accurate" as they could be till after the age of 2.  Blood OR skin testing is about 50/50 on accuracy of a + (about 90% accurate if it says - on the blood tests I believe).  I believe the ImmunoCAPRAST is the most sensitive blood test at this time.  

[Dr Rob]

Thank you for your questions about ImmunoCAP® and its ability to pinpoint allergic issues. First you should know that ImmunoCAP is similar to the ELISA test.

The ImmunoCAP test consists of one blood draw, one time, something that is especially important when testing children. It provides the knowledge your doctor needs to effectively guide the treatment of your child’s symptoms. The ImmunoCAP IgE test reports specific allergic sensitivities for the allergens on the profile selected for your child. The physician will then interpret the sensitization profile, in conjunction with your child’s symptoms, to determine if your child is allergic and determine which tested allergen may be causing the symptoms. There’s no risk of allergic reactions because you are not exposed to any allergens during testing.

This is much more comfortable for your little one than skin prick tests which are typically administered by allergists. There is only a single needle stick to draw a small quantity of blood; the child does not have to lay still for an hour or more while the allergy manifests itself; and there is no risk of reaction to exposure.

With the ImmunoCAP test, your child does not have to be consuming the suspected food in order to accurately determine whether or not she is truly sensitized to the food in question. However, the child will have to have been exposed to the food in question at some point in their lives, either through ingestion or breastfeeding, for the suspected allergy to be detected by the ImmunoCAP test.

That said, it is important to know the distinction between food intolerance and true food allergy. Food intolerance usually manifests itself as gastric distress, or other non-life-threatening symptoms.  However, true food allergy manifests in a much more harmful and potentially life threatening way, such as difficulty breathing, eczema, or even anaphylactic shock.  I would suggest a visit to our website www.phadia.us if you would like additional information about ImmunoCAP and allergies.

If you are dealing with possible food allergies, you should ask your doctor to consider using ImmunoCAP Allergen Components.  It provides even more specificity in allergy identification and will determine the presence of true food allergy or food sensitization, with the most accuracy.

If your physician has any questions about the ImmunoCAP Allergen Components test, he/she can visit: www.pirllab.com

Robert Reinhardt, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Phadia US Inc: www.isitallergy.com

Associate Professor Michigan State University