Chapt. 5: Principles of Allergy Diagnosis Flashcards
Immediate-reading allergy skin tests address what type of hypersensitivity?
Type I. Can confirm sensitization to a specific allergen. They represent the primary diagnostic tool of IgE-mediated diseases.
The IgE-mediated allergic response in the skin results in an immediate wheal and flare reaction that which is followed by a late-phase reaction (LPR) starting how many hours after?
1-2 hours later, peaking at 6-12 hours, and resolving in approximately 24 to 48 hours. The LPR is represented by an erythematous inflammatory reaction.
What induces the immediate reaction after allergy skin test?
Mast cell degranulation
What is released after 5 minutes after allergen injection? When is the peak?
Histamine and tryptase. Peaks at 30minutes.
What is the major mediator of wheal and flare reaction?
Histamine.
Does the size of the wheal correlate with the concentration of histamine released?
No.
What has replaced the RAST (radioallergosorbent test)?
FEIA (flourescent immunoassay).
What are the three majorly important variables to interpret skin test?
Allergen extract used
Technique
Patient
This chemotherapeutic drug may illicit skin necrosis and their use should therefore be strictly avoided.
Vinorelbine
Can cause false positive reaction by non-immunologic mechanism
Hymenoptera venom
Can elicit a wheal and flare reaction in non-sensitized patients
Thimerosal
For skin testing with fresh foods, _________ of allergen by cooking has been well established.
Thermal denaturation
If tests are placed too close together _____, and overlapping reactions cannot be separated visually.
<2cm
Intradermal skin testing amount
=<0.1ml
Average volume of the prick-test inoculum
0.016 uL
Average volume injected into the dermis with intradermal test?
0.02-0.05ml
Concentration of allergen extract required to elicit a positive reaction with intradermal testing is __________ times smaller than necessary for a positive prick-puncture test.
1000-30000
Positive control solutions?
Histamine
Codeine phosphate
Mean wheal size for positive control
5-8mm
Positive control should optimally show a wheal diameter that is?
> =3mm
Interpreted as positive and possible indicative of a clinical allergy in prick-puncture test?
> 3mm wheal diameter and >10mm flare diameter. Another criteria is the ratio of the size of the wheal induced by the allergen compared to the positive control.
Allergic sensitization with no correlative allergic disease occurence?
8-30% of the population
_____ of sensitized-only individuals subsequently develop allergic symptoms?
30-60%
With inhalant allergens, the cheapest and most effective method to diagnose respiratory allergies?
Skin-prick test
First-generation H1 antihistamines reduce skin reactivity for how long?
For up to 24 hours or slightly longer (for >5 days for ketotifen).
How long do the second generation H1 anti-histamines suppress skin responses? (Azelastine, bilastine, cetirizine, desloratadine, ebastine, fexofenadine, levocetirizine, loratadine, mizolastine, rupatadine)
3-7days
This anti-histamine inhibits skin tests more than others, and this effect correlates with relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms?
Cetirizine