Anti Tryptase Test

Anti-tryptase test is conducted to detect the amount of anti-tryptase enzymes present in the blood of a patient. These enzymes are produced due to increase in mast cells in a person. These cells are present in highest amounts in the bone marrow, skin, the lining of the intestine and air passages. The normal levels of tryptase in the blood are very low. But when mast cells are activated due to severe allergies or other conditions, the tryptase levels spike within 15 to 30 minutes peaking at 1 to 2 hours and returning to normal after several hours to a couple of days. Hence the test is done to detect severe allergies, anaphylaxis, mastocytosis and other such related conditions.

Wear a half-sleeved shirt on as full-sleeved shirt might pose difficulty in pulling up the sleeves. Do not wear sweater or jacket. No specific requirement is required for this test. Fasting is not necessary and the patient may continue taking any medication that the patient is already taking. If your blood sample is needed for other tests then fasting may be required in some cases. Please kindly follow the instructions given by the lab.

Anti-tryptase test is conducted to detect severe allergies, anaphylaxis, mastocytosis and other such related conditions, which result in spiked levels of anti-tryptase in the blood. Reference Level is <11.5 ng/mL Levels of total tryptase in serum > or =11.5 ng/mL may indicate mast cell activation due to anaphylaxis or allergen challenge, or it may indicate an increased number of mast cells due to mastocytosis in patients.

About 1 ml or just 2 teaspoons of the blood sample will be drawn from your body. This test needs to be conducted in a well-equipped diagnostic lab with Anti-Tryptase test facility. The skin is cleaned with an alcohol pad. In the next step, the needle will be inserted into the body through the vein which is easily visible over the cleaned skin. The blood sample will be collected through the SST (Serum Separator Tube) tube attached to the needle. The tube is separated from the needle and closed with a lid and with the patient’s name on it. The blood sample tube is shaken down to remove serum from the clot and then it is sent to the research laboratory for examination. Tryptase levels usually return to normal at 24 hours post reaction, hence three samples (EDTA plasma or serum) are required which are to be drawn after 1 hour, 3 hours and more than 24 hours of a suspected anaphylactic reaction.