Allergen, Individual-Animal Guinea Pig Epithelium Test

There are a few patients for whom this test might not be suitable. People who have been previously treated with immunotherapy would not be able to tested using this procedure as there might be some residual clinical sensitivity leading to a positive result even when they are not allergic. Whereas other individuals might not have high sensitivity to allergens that would show a reaction in a skin patch. For such patients, the IgE antibodies can be checked in serum as they are of measurable levels and can be clinically interpreted. However, this is not preferred as false-positive results for IgE antibodies may occur in patients with markedly elevated serum IgE (>2,500 kU/L) due to nonspecific binding to allergen solid phases.

Testing for IgE antibodies is used to establish the diagnosis of an allergic disease and it also helps to specify the allergens responsible for causing the signs and symptoms.

It can be unsure as to which allergen is the person affected by so the allergens chosen for testing often depend upon the age of the patient, history of allergen exposure, season of the year, and clinical manifestations. It is usually seen to develop as follows: eczema and respiratory diseases like rhinitis and bronchospasm in infants and children less than 5 years of age due to food sensitivity (milk, egg, soy, and wheat proteins) respiratory disease (rhinitis and asthma) in older children and adults due to sensitivity to inhalant allergens (dust mite, mold, and pollen inhalants) For the skin patch detection, a small skin patch is exposed to the allergen and it is monitored for a reaction. Detection of IgE antibodies in serum (Class 1 or greater) indicates an increased likelihood of allergic disease as opposed to other etiologies and defines the allergens that may be responsible for eliciting signs and symptoms. The level of IgE antibodies in serum varies directly with the concentration of IgE antibodies expressed as a class score or kU/L.

Average price range of the test is approximately Rs.900 depending on the factors of city, quality and availablity.