Complimentary and Alternative Allergy Tests

This article reviews the common tests employed by complementary and alternative medical practitioners to diagnose allergies and intolerances. These tests include VEGA, applied kinesiology, hair analysis, auriculo-cardiac test, stool and live blood analysis, leucocytotoxic tests and IgG ELISA tests. None of these tests has proven to be as accurate as specific IgE measurement in allergy diagnosis and they cannot be recommended. Correspondence: 2 Burnham Rd, Constantia 7800. Tel 021-797-7980, fax 021-683-5335, email [email protected] 22 Current Allergy & Clinical Immunology, March 2006 Vol 19, No.1 The original protagonists of the ALCAT test (which includes the leucocytotoxic test and Nutron test) could only cite a few nonpeer-reviewed congress abstracts as evidence that it worked, while the antagonists (personal communication with the leading opinion leaders in the field of food allergy such as Bindslev-Jensen, Potter and Katelaris) have substantial data on record to show a poor diagnostic accuracy. The lack of mainstream acceptance of these tests is often blamed on 'a conspiracy' by the larger multinational diagnostic companies trying to remove the defenceless opposition from the market. This perception is not a true reflection of the situation. The IgG ELISA allergy test Another allergy test of questionable accuracy is IgG ELISA test. This test measures IgG antibodies to various foods which should not be confused with IgE antibody testing in conventional RAST and UniCAP. Most people develop IgG antibodies to foods they eat and this is a normal non-specific response. There is no convincing evidence to suggest that this test has any allergy diagnostic value. In fact, the IgG response may even be protective and prevent the development of IgE food allergy! IgG4 antibodies produced after high level cat allergen exposure in childhood confer cat allergy protection and not sensitisation. Applied kinesiology (muscle testing) Applied Kinesiology was developed in the USA by Goodhart in 1964 and relies on energy fields within the body to diagnose allergy and intolerance. Kinesiology is popular among chiropractic practitioners in the South Africa. In this test, the practitioner tests the patient's muscle strength when the allergen is placed in a vial in front of them. The shoulder strength (deltoid muscle) is usually tested for weakness. The patient holds out an arm and the practitioner applies a counter pressure if the patient is unable to resist the counter pressure, the test is considered positive to that allergen. The antidote to the allergy is then also held in front of the patient and if their weakness is reversed this indicates it is the correct antidote. There are a number of variations to the technique of muscle testing and many practitioners complement the test by holding a magnet in front of the patient. There is no convincing evidence that this test has any useful role to play in allergy diagnosis. VEGA testing (electrodermal testing) This test was developed by German physician Dr Reinhold Voll in 1958. The VEGA test (or electrodermal test) involves measuring electromagnetic conductivity in the body using a Wheatstone bridge galvanometer. The patient has one electrode placed over an acupuncture point and the other electrode is held while a battery of allergens and chemicals are placed in a metallic honeycomb. A fall in the electromagnetic conductivity or a 'disordered reading' indicates an allergy or intolerance to that allergen. Newer transistorised/computerised versions of the original VEGA or Voll test are called Dermatron, BEST, Quantum and LISTEN Systems which have a similar application and give more rapid results. Some claim to test for 3 500 allergens in 3 minutes! Katelaris et al.14 and Lewith et al. performed independent double-blind testing, comparing VEGA testing with conventional testing in known allergy sufferers, and the VEGA tests had no reproducibility or diagnostic accuracy at all. The manufacturers aggressively promote the test and offer free training courses for potential 'allergy' diagnosticians. Hair analysis testing in allergy Hair is analysed for allergies in two ways. First of all, the hair is tested for toxic levels of heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium and then deficiencies of selenium, zinc, chromium, manganese and magnesium.There is no scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that these heavy metals have any bearing on allergic diseases. Hair samples are usually sent away for analysis and numerous studies have failed to find any accuracy in hair analysis diagnosing allergies. Another hair test is called dowsing. The dowser swings a pendulum over the hair and an allergy is diagnosed if an altered swing is noted. Auriculocardiac reflex Suspected allergens are placed in filter papers over the skin of the forearm. A bright light is shone through the ear lobe or back of hand. At the same time the pulse is assessed. If the filter paper contains an allergen to which the patient is allergic, the pulse increases by 12 or more beats per minute. To date, no scientific data are available to validate this test. Provocation-neutralisation tests The allergen is applied sublingually, or by skin injection. Increasing test doses are given until a wheal appears on the skin (provocation dose); the dose is then decreased until the wheal disappears. This is the neutralisation dose which is used to treat the allergy and 'desensitise' the patient. This test has also not been validated by studies and has no diagnostic reliability in allergy or treatment. Nampudripad's allergy elimination tech-