Component-Resolved and Complementary Tests in the Diagnosis of Occupational Allergy: Advantages and Limitations

Opinion StatementEnhancing the repertoire of in vitro methods together with the development of recombinant technology in the field of allergy diagnosis brought tremendous advances in understanding allergens, allergic reactions, and patients ’ care. This review is focusing not only on component-resolved diagnosis with occupational allergens, complementary methods, their advantages to improve the in vitro diagnosis for occupational allergy but also their limitations. Up to now, the number of occupational asthma sensitizers characterize d on the molecular level and their availability for routine diagnosis is very low. One exception, however, isHevea brasiliensis latex as an important occupational allergen source.H. brasiliensis latex is an excellent model for the useful application of recombinant single allergens for improvement of routine diagnostics. Despite the many efforts and excellent research in the field of baker ’s asthma to characterize the occupationally relevant allergens the results are highly diverse. No major allergen can be identified and the IgE-sensitization profile of each baker showed great inter-individual variation. Therefore, for routine diagnosis of baker’s asthma, the assessment of aller gen-specific IgE with the whole wheat (and/or rye) flour extract is still recommended. Unfortunately, no wheat allergens relevant for baker’s asthma are commercially available, although they might help to discriminate between wheat-induced food allergy, grass pol...
Source: Current Treatment Options in Allergy - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research