The use of the Me DALL-chip to assess IgE sensitization: a new diagnostic tool for allergic disease?

Background Allergic sensitization is frequently present in asthma and rhinitis, but the role of specific immunoglobulin E (s-IgE) is not always clear. Multiple s-IgE analyses may provide insight into this relationship, thus a microarray chip was developed within the EU-funded Me DALL project. The main objective was to evaluate the performance of the Me DALL-chip compared to Immuno CAP and skin prick test ( SPT) in detecting allergic sensitization in children and secondarily to investigate the association to asthma and allergic rhinitis. Methods From the 'Environment and Childhood Asthma Study', 265 children were investigated at 10 and 16 yr of age with clinical examination, interview, SPT, Immuno CAP, and the Me DALL-chip including 152 allergen components in the analysis. Results Allergic sensitization at 10 yr was more frequently detected using the Me DALL-chip (38.1%) compared to the Immuno CAP (32.8%) (p = 0.034) and SPT (25.5%) (p < 0.001), but no significant difference was seen at 16 yr (Me DALL-chip 49.8%, Immuno CAP 48.6%, SPT 45.8%). The Me DALL-chip did not differ significantly from the Immuno CAP or SPT in terms of detecting allergic sensitization in subjects with rhinitis or asthma at 10 or 16 yr. Conclusion The prevalence of allergic sensitization increased by all three diagnostic tests from 10 to 16 yr was similar by SPT and Immuno CAP and significantly higher with the Me DALL-chip at 10 yr. All three tests were comparable for identification of allergic sensitization among children with current rhinitis or asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]