Molekulare und Zelluläre Möglichkeiten in der Allergiediagnostik

Allergy diagnosis depends on a thorough anamnesis, laboratory tests documenting sensitisation and provocation tests to objectively confirm the causative allergen under controlled conditions. In this review, we describe the molecular and cellular tests available for searching for the causative allergen. The molecular approaches in allergy diagnosis have increased enormously since the identification, cloning and expression of the major allergen for birch pollen, Bet v 1. The diagnostic options are described in detail in the freely available monographs of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the "Molecular Allergy Users Guide 2016" for molecular serological tests and the "Clinical Utility of Basophil Activation Testing" for cellular tests, where molecular allergens can be employed and with the aim of reducing the re-exposure of patients to allergens they react to. Precise measurements depend on external quality assurance, already established for serology testing, and being in development for cellular testing. European standardisation of diagnostic laboratory tests will expand the variety of test options for personalised allergy diagnosis.