Clinical Evaluation of Lumiward Immunoassay System for Detection of Specific IgE Associated with Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

The detection of specific IgE is a critical prerequisite for both the definitive diagnosis and the therapeutic strategy of allergic rhinitis and other allergic disorders. The aim of the present study was thus to evaluate the clinical significance of the solid phase capture system (CAP) and the lumiward immunoassay system (LMD) in the diagnosis of allergic rhinitis due to Dermatophagoides farinae ( D. farinae ) and Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ) pollens. The specificity of both the CAP and the LMD in the detection of D. farinae -specific IgE and Japanese cedar pollen-specific IgE was 100%. The sensitivity to detect D. farinae -specific IgE was 95.76% in the skin test, 86.53% in the CAP and 88.53% in the LMD, respectively. The combination of the nasal provocation test and the CAP substituted for the skin test resulted in correct diagnoses for 98.25% of the patients, and the combination of the nasal provocation test and the LMD substituted for the skin test resulted in correct diagnoses for 98.00% of the patients. Therefore, the diagnostic significance of the LMD for perennial allergic rhinitis is likely to be equal to that of the CAP. The sensitivity to detect Japanese cedar pollen-specific IgE was 94.50% in the skin test, 84.47% in the CAP, and 96.76% in the LMD, respectively. The sensitivity of the CAP in the detection of Japanese cedar pollen-specific IgE was inferior to that of the skin test, but the sensitivity of the LMD in the detection of pollen-specific IgE was somewhat superior to that of the skin test. In addition, the combination of the nasal provocation test and the CAP substituted for the skin test resulted in correct diagnoses for 98.38% of the patients, whereas the combination of the nasal provocation test and the LMD substituted for the skin test resulted in correct diagnoses for 100% of the patients. Therefore, the diagnostic significance of the LMD for seasonal allergic rhinitis due to Japanese cedar pollens is probably larger than that of the CAP. In conclusion, the LMD may be a better “gold standard” for the detection of Japanese cedar pollen-specific IgE than the skin test, and the combination of the nasal provocation test and the LMD is a better diagnostic tool for the detection of Japanese cedar pollen-induced seasonal allergic rhinitis than the combination of the nasal provocation test and the skin test or the CAP.