Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Latex Allergy

ABSTRACT Background Screening patients for latex allergy prior to surgery is an important but intensive procedure. The appropriate testing strategy for diagnosing latex (Hevea brasiliensis) allergy involves in-vitro specific IgE or skin prick testing. The sensitivity and specificity of both tests are influenced by patient-specific factors or manufacturing processes that alter the clinically relevant allergens in skin testing solutions. Methods Total IgE and latex-specific IgE testing was introduced as a screening test. Skin prick testing was done on patients with a high probability of latex allergy and negative specific IgE with total IgE Results 51 patients had a total IgE Conclusions Increasing the cut-off value of total IgE for allergen-specific IgE testing increased the sensitivity of the specific IgE test. The NAL reagent had a greater number of clinically significant allergens at higher concentrations than AL, which may have implications for the clinical sensitivity of the newer AL reagent.