IDS is a new player for Total and Specific IgE testing and offers fully automated quantitative assays on the IDS-iSYS Multi-Discipline Automated System.
Allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction (Type I) to a normally harmless environmental antigen and is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE), which induces mast-cell activation and tissue injury. The mostly immediate reactions take place in between minutes or hours.
Allergic diseases are steadily increasing in prevalence and, today, 30-40% of the world population are affected by at least one allergic condition. A high proportion of this increase is occurring in young subjects, which means that the burden of allergic diseases is expected to increase further in the future. Allergic diseases are the 3rd leading chronic disease in children and 5th in adults, which constitutes also a considerable burden on the health and medical systems. Complex allergies involving polysensitisation and multiple organs are on the increase, often underdiagnosed and undertreated, which result in suboptimal disease management, negative impacts on quality of life, high morbidity and even mortality.
The diagnosis of allergy is based on the correlation between clinical symptoms, medical history and in vitro and in vivo test results.
Total IgE
Total IgE levels in serum are at the lowest concentration of any of the five human immunoglobulin isotypes, and can be elevated in patients suffering from allergic conditions, parasite infections and IgE myeloma.
Specific IgE
Allergen-specific IgE is the most important serological marker to confirm sensitisation in an individual with a positive history of exposure. The available allergens cover many of the most prominent and clinically relevant allergens from food, epidermals, pollens, microorganisms, mites, insect venoms and occupational allergens. The assay range comprises both extracts and molecular allergens to closely align with recognised testing guidelines.
