ALLERGY TESTING - COMPARISON OF SKIN AND INVITRO TESTS OF ALLERGIC REAGIN

Abstract

Skin tests are often used to detect reaginic antibodies in allergic patients. Recently in vitro assays of allergic reagins, including the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and the rat mast cell test (RMCT) became available. A comparison of the clinical usefulness of these tests suggested that skin tests and the RAST are of comparable diagnostic accuracy and reliability. The RMCT was poorly reproducible and unreliable. For routine cases skin tests should continue to be the procedure of choice. The RAST may reasonably be used when skin tests are unreliable, impractical or contraindicated, and may be helpful in resolving discrepancies between skin test results and clinical history.