ImmunoCAP Molecular Allergy provides two new assays to help specialist clinicians and researchers target their diagnosis of allergic disease: ImmunoCAP® Allergen Components, a new menu of highly refined allergen component tests, and ImmunoCAP ISAC® (Immuno Solid-phase Allergen Chip), an initial allergy clinical assessment for the 21st century. Both of these are laboratory-developed tests available to specialists only through PiRL.
Taking the molecular view of allergens
Component resolved diagnostics (CRD) is an emerging science that enables the measurement of specific antibodies to antigenic components at the molecular level. The measurement of very specific antibodies to these molecular components allows a level of specificity in detection never before seen. While the clinical utility of these component results is just now being understood, it is an exciting time as we advance the understanding of immunology.
Currently available ImmunoCAP specific IgE (sIgE) testing
provides precise, accurate, and valuable information about
a patient’s sensitization to 1 or more allergens. The
level of sIgE to any given allergen is an important consideration
when evaluating a patient’s allergic status, because
the probability of symptoms increases with increasing amounts
of sIgE.1-3 However, the clinical manifestation
of some allergies is dependent upon additional contributing
factors. This is true in the case of wheat-dependent, exercise-induced
anaphylaxis, for example.
ImmunoCAP Allergen Components
ImmunoCAP Allergen Components is highly refined specific allergy testing that employs carefully selected components and recombinant engineered allergens. Using ImmunoCAP Allergen Components
can help refine your understanding of sensitization by assessing
a person’s sensitization pattern at the molecular level.4,5 Test results from allergen components
demonstrate, for instance, that similar protein structures
from widely divergent allergenic sources can generate clinically
relevant cross-reactions. When used in conjunction
with traditional extract-based sIgE testing, ImmunoCAP Allergen Components
provides information at the individual component level.
ImmunoCAP ISAC®: Immuno Solid-phase Allergen Chip
The most advanced diagnostic technology—and
one of the most exciting—is ImmunoCAP ISAC, a multi-array
technology package designed for the assessment of patients
in the initial allergist office workup. Using just a small
blood sample, ISAC produces semi-quantitative results—both
recombinant and highly purified—representing a wide
spectrum of allergens. This profile will produce unique patterns
for every patient.
ImmunoCAP ISAC offers:
- Specific IgE measurement of allergen components from
nearly 50 different allergen sources
- Semi-quantitative results for 103 allergen components
- Component resolved diagnostics using only purified natural
or recombinant allergen components
Recombinant Allergen Technology
The molecular-level
component antigens have been characterized and prepared in
a recombinant system or highly purified from a native source.
Traditional sIgE testing utilizes allergens that are composed
of complex mixtures of allergen components derived from
a single allergen source. In contrast, ImmunoCAP Molecular Allergy testing utilizes—in
place of complex extract-based mixtures—purified recombinant
and native protein molecules.
A recombinant allergen is a biotechnologically produced
allergen molecule with a peptide sequence identical to those
originally isolated from an allergen extract. The native
purified components are used where it is possible to isolate
the protein by traditional chemical and immunochemical methods.
Recombinant and native allergen components are thus comparable
with their natural proteins in structural and immunological
properties, and have IgE antibody-binding capacity similar
to that of the natural allergen in vitro and in vivo.
References
1. Sampson HA, Ho DG. J
Allergy Clin Immunol. 1997;100:444-451.
2.
Sampson HA. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107:891-896.
3. Simpson A,
et al. J Allergy Clin
Immunol. 2005;116:744-749.
4.
Valenta R, et al. Clin
Exp Allergy. 1999;29:896-904.
5.
Heiss S, et al. J Invest Dermatol. 1999;113:830-837.
