Peanut and hazelnut allergies can be diagnosed with lipid transfer proteins-specific IgE tests alongside other tools for diagnosis.
Based on 15 prospective, or retrospective cross-sectional studies, totalling 2,395 participants, Ara h 9 (peanut) and Cor a 8 (hazelnut) serum specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) tests proved to be valuable tools for diagnosing food allergies in patients suspected of reacting to foods containing lipid transfer proteins (LTPs).
This review by Chiara Bellia et al. was published in the ‘International Journal of Molecular Sciences’ and included participants with oral food challenges (both open and double-blind placebo-controlled) as the reference standard. Relevant studies were sourced from Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrial.org, with bias risk assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS)-2 tool.
The sensitivity of Ara h 9 for diagnosing peanut allergies ranged between 6% to 61%, while its specificity fell between 57% and 100%. Likewise, Cor a 8 demonstrated a sensitivity ranging from 11% to 43% and specificity between 59% and 94%. Both sIgE tests may be useful in confirming peanut and hazelnut allergies in symptomatic individuals, but their diagnostic accuracy may be limited by low sensitivity. Further research is needed to define the broader clinical role of sIgE tests in food allergy diagnosis, the authors concluded.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Diagnostic Accuracy of Lipid Transfer Proteins (LTPs) Specific IgE Assay in Food Allergy: A Systematic Review
Chiara Bellia et al.
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