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Original Article
 

Do Skin Prick Test and In Vitro Techniques Diagnose Sensitization to Peach Lipid Transfer Protein and Profilin Equally Well in Allergy to Plant Food and Pollen?
 

Goikoetxea MJ1*, Berroa F1*, Cabrera-Freitag P1, Ferrer M1, Núñez-Córdoba JM2, Sanz ML1, Gastaminza G1

1Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
2Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Medical School, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
*Both authors contributed equally to this study.

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2015; Vol. 25(4): 283-287
 

 Abstract


Objective: To compare the skin prick test (SPT) with in vitro techniques (single and multiplex fluorescence enzyme-immunoassay [FEIA]) for detecting sensitization to profilin and lipid transfer protein (LTP).

Methods: We retrospectively studied 181 patients with pollen and/or plant food allergy and 61 controls. SPT was performed with date palm profilin (Pho d 2) and peach LTP (Pru p 3), and specific IgE (sIgE) to Phl p 12 and Pru p 3 was analyzed using single FEIA and microarray.

Results: Fifteen of 201 patients with negative results for LTP in the SPT were sensitized to this allergen in the in vitro tests, and 18 of 41 patients with positive results for LTP in the SPT were not sensitized according to the in vitro tests. Seventeen of 186 patients with negative results for profilin in the SPT were sensitized to Phl p 12 by serum sIgE, and 30 out of 56 patients with positive results for profilin in SPT were not sensitized to Phl p 12 according to the other tests. Moderate agreement was observed between the 3 techniques studied.

Conclusions: SPT is a sensitive technique for detecting sensitization to LTP and profilin. Its results are similar to those of in vitro techniques, especially in patients with negative SPT results for peach LTP and palm tree profilin.

Key words: Lipid transfer protein. Profilin. Skin prick test. sIgE. Diagnosis.