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Objectives: Detection of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) is important for the diagnosis of allergy. IgE sensitization is commonly demonstrated in vivo by skin prick testing (SPT), or in vitro utilizing automated systems. Recently, HYCOR® Biomedical launched its new system for allergen sIgE testing called the NOVEOS™ Immunoanalyzer. This study aims to evaluate the analytical performance of the NOVEOS system in a bi-center study at Philipps-University Marburg (Site-1) and Charité Medical University Berlin (Site-2), respectively. Methods: The analytical performance was evaluated based on the guidelines I/LA20-A3, EP5-A3, EP17-A2, EP6-A, EP7-A3, and EP9-A3 of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Results: The conducted repeatability and within-laboratory precision tests provided acceptable performance with 3.0%–11.9% coefficient of variation across both sites. The limit of blank (LoB) and limit of detection (LoD) were <0.1 kU/L at both centers. A within-parameter linearity for all tested allergens was reported at both sites. Of note, no significant interference was observed for high levels of biotin, methylprednisolone, diphenhydramine, omalizumab, or ranitidine. Method comparison between the NOVEOS calibration and the latest World Health Organization (WHO) reference standard showed good agreement at both sites. Conclusions: The results from the analytical performance of the NOVEOS allergen sIgE assay and instrument testing at both sites were comparable. Overall, a good precision and linearity as well as a detection limit <0.1 kU/L were observed, with minimal impact of common interfering substances on patient recoveries. The NOVEOS is calibrated to the latest WHO reference standard and adds benefits like a small sample size and para-magnetic microparticles that improve upon third-generation allergen sIgE assays' design and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses use of allergen‐specific immunotherapy (AIT) to cure allergic diseases by attacking their antigen‐specific immunologic mechanisms. Topics include better standardization of allergen products for diagnosis and therapy with molecular allergology, selection of molecules in order to identify genuine sensitization to the allergen, and producing recombinant molecules with hybrid technology.