Sensitive Glass Microfibre‐Based Histamine Analysis for Allergy Testing in Washed Blood Cells

Abstract

The new microfiber method for allergy testing is based on basophil histamine release after challenge with suspected allergens in samples of 50 .mu.l washed blood cells. Released histamine is bound to microfiber and measured after removal of interfering substances by washing. The microfibers method was compared with the conventional leukocyte histamine release assay in 18 allergic patients tested with 10 different allergens. The same individuals responded with histamine release to the same allergens in both assays and the number of responders was almost identical. Also the dose-response curves and the cell sensitivity were almost identical, which further substantiated identity between the results obtained by the new microfiber method and the conventional assay. A comparison between the microfiber method and in vivo provocation tests showed good agreement when comparing the number of positive and negative responses in these tests. The new method overcomes the problems in allergy testing, where only small amounts of blood are available and many tests have to be carried out.