Eosinophilic esophagitis laboratory findings
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Overview
Laboratory Findings
There are 3 main ways in which food allergies can be detected in EE are as follows
Skin prick testing
- A small amount of allergen is introduced into the skin of the patient through a gentle puncture with a pricking device.
- The allergens that are used for this purpose are either from a laboratory manufacture or freshly prepared by the doctor before the test.
- Allergy skin testing provides the allergist with specific information on what you are and are not allergic to.
- Patients who are sensitive to the allergen have an allergic antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which causes type-1 hypersensitivity reaction and cause an area of redness and swelling around the prick
- The entire procedure takes 15 min, however, these tests may have limited use in identifying foods causing or precipitaiong EoE.
Blood allergy testing
- Serum specific immune assay can be done for the allergen testing especially in patients with food allergies.
- Although there are many limitations for the prick testing and the blood testing for the allergy in patients with EoE, prick testing is considered more efficient than the blood testing in EoE.
Atopy patch testing
- Atopy patch testing is another way of identifying the allergies in patients with EoE.
- This more useful in the pediatric population than in the adults.
- Patch testing used to identify patients with delayed reactions to a food.
- Procedure: A small amount of a fresh food in a small aluminum chamber called a Finn chamber.
- The Finn chamber is then taped on the person’s back.
- The food in the chamber stays in contact with the skin for 48 hours.
- It is then removed and the allergist reads the results at 72 hours.
- A positive delayed reaction to the food is determined by the inflamed area of the skin around the Finn chamber.
- The results from the food patch test helps the physician to determine which foods can be avoided
- All the above-mentioned tests can have false positive tests, it is also possible to have a false negative test, meaning that the prick, blood or patch tests are negative yet the allergen can contribute towards a patient’s EoE.