food allergy tests

[Guest guest]

B Vollmer wrote:

>

> Subject: food allergy tests

> Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 09:57:14 +1000

>

>

> Dear and group;

> I've done some more looking into these blood tests

> for food allergies. It

> seems that in the US it was (and may still be) the

> norm to use a cytotoxic

> test which have had problems with accuracy (too many

> false positives). The

> tests I had here in Sydney were the RAST which is

> thought to be as accurate

> as the skin scratch tests. here is a bit of further

> information I found on

> the " Allergy and Asthma Network " (AANMA) website -

> which is American, I

> think. It might help with understanding more about

> determining food

> allergies.

>

> The blood work I had done (and attached in an email

> to you all, last week)

> was the IgE serum tests which showed that my serum

> levels were high (the

> doctor said I was a highly allergic person -

> whatever that means!). I also

> had RAST tests to test for specific food allergies.

> Those test showed a

> strong allergic reaction to a lot of foods. I have

> not not any allergic or

> negative reaction to most all of the foods. My

> doctor's hypothesis is that

> either I've learned to accept the allergic reaction

> as my normal or that the

> reaction is not strong enough for me to be aware of,

> however the extent of

> the foods that I am reactive too may be the reason

> that my overall IgE serum

> levels were so high. This may mean that my body is

> constantly in high

> immune mode and that is over taxed. The EN may

> result from my immune system

> being unable to deal with any more (such as an

> increase in stress - my

> trigger, I think).

>

> This is all still very much a theory and it will

> take lots more time and

> tests to see if there is any truth behind the

> conjecture. I am going to see

> a specialist in October to continue and increase the

> testing to see if it is

> possible to pinpoint my food allergies and then to

> see if removing those

> allergens helps me reduce or avoid EN episodes.

>

> I'll do my best to keep you all informed!

>

> Wishing everyone improving health!

>

> bobby

>

> The website where I found this information is

>

> HYPERLINK

>

" http://www.aanma.org/farmersmarket/fm_detectingfa.htm " http://www.aanma.org/

> farmersmarket/fm_detectingfa.htm

>

>

> " For these patients, the physician may use a

> RAST-type blood test. These

> tests measure the presence of food-specific IgE

> (allergy antibodies) in the

> blood. High levels of this type of antibody may

> indicate allergies.

>

> RAST (radioallergosorbent)-type tests (also known as

> CAP-RAST, FAST, MAST,

> AND ELISA) are less sensitive and more expensive

> than skin tests and the

> results are not available as quickly. As with skin

> tests, a diagnosis of

> food allergies is made only when the patient has a

> positive blood test and a

> history of reactions suggesting allergy.

>

> Other types of blood tests include:

>

> * Serum IgE tests measure the overall level of IgE

> antibodies in a

> patient’s blood, but do not match it with a

> particular food. Serum IgE can

> also be increased in other conditions, so if your

> IgE levels are high it

> doesn’t necessarily mean you are allergic to a food.

> * Basophil histamine release (BHR) tests are highly

> technical tests

> that must be performed under the strictest

> laboratory conditions. They are

> similar to RAST tests in accurately identifying

> allergies.

> * Cytotoxic tests study the reaction of

> unmetabolized (uneaten) food

> with a person’s white blood cells. Research studies

> have not found this test

> to be a reliable indicator of food allergy.

> * FICA (food immune complex assay) tests and others

> that measure IgE

> antibodies are advertised as more reproducible, more

> sensitive, and more

> accurate in measuring immediate and delayed allergic

> reactions. Medical

> experts say that the production of these antibodies

> is not a reliable

> indicator of food allergy, since everyone makes some

> IgE antibodies to foods

> they eat. "

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