Analysis of allergen-specific IgE responses in 341 allergic patients. Associations between allergens and between allergen groups and clinical diagnoses.

An allergic population of 341 patients was studied using 14 different allergen extracts in skin prick tests and radioallergosorbent tests (RAST) in an attempt to identify important allergen sources in the Sydney area and to examine relationships between these diagnostic methods and a number of clinical parameters. A computer based statistical analysis of the data revealed that: (a) male patients showed a significantly higher frequency of skin test reactivity to extracts of house dust and the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae; (b) the incidence of positive prick test reactions declined with age; (c) cross-reactive allergenic determinants were found in taxonomically-related extracts (e.g. between different house dust mites, pollens, and fungi); (d) a clear correlation emerged between relative potency using a histamine standard and RAST score which supports the continued use of histamine as a standard in skin prick testing; and (e) important associations between certain allergens and clinical diagnosis emerged (e.g. positive skin test reactions to house dust mites and epithelia but not pollens were associated with asthma).