There have been several highly significant achievements in the area of alternatives for skin corrosivity testing in the last three years, most notably: (a) the validation, and subsequent endorsement, of two replacement alternative tests for skin corrosivity (the rat skin transcutaneous electrical resistance [TER] and EPISKINtrade mark human skin model assays) by the European Centre for the Vali...

SETTING This study was conducted in a high tuberculosis (TB) burden area in Worcester, South Africa, with a notified all TB incidence rate of 1,400/100,000. MAIN OBJECTIVE To compare the predictive value of a baseline tuberculin skin test (TST) with that of the QuantiFERON TB Gold (In-tube) assay (QFT) for subsequent microbiologically confirmed TB disease among adolescents. METHODS Adolesce...

Skin prick testing (SPT) in combination with the clinical history of the patient is one important step in the diagnosis of IgE-mediated occupational allergies. However, skin test performance is related to the quality of allergen extracts. The present consensus document was prepared by an EAACI Task Force consisting of an expert panel of allergologists and occupational physicians from Germany, I...

BACKGROUND Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides siboney and Blomia tropicalis are the most important allergenic mites in Cuba. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of polysensitization and correlation of the skin prick test (SPT) reaction size to these mites in asthmatic patients. METHODS A total of 232 adult patients with asthmatic symptoms caused by house dust and p...

OBJECTIVE To compare the prevalence of allergy to cockroaches (Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana) in asthmatic and non-asthmatic children and to determine the degree of agreement between the skin prick test and serum specific IgE levels, as well as to establish the relationship between cockroach allergy and total IgE levels. METHODS A case-control study involving 76 asthmatic and ...

A prospective, double blind study was conducted to determine the degree of concordance of pen and palpation methods of measuring skin induration to Mantoux tuberculin tests. One hundred thirty-five skin tests were performed in patients with previously bacteriologically proved tuberculous disease. An experienced reader who was only able to see the forearm of the patient measured the induration b...

BACKGROUND Although hazelnut consumption is very high in Turkey, the prevalence of hazelnut allergy is still unknown. This study's objective was to investigate the prevalence of hazelnut sensitisation and to verify its clinical importance using double-blind, placebo-controlled challenge (DBPCFC) in an adult population. METHODS Prick-to-prick skin tests were performed with fresh hazelnut in 90...

BACKGROUND Patients can be tested for IgE sensitivities with in vivo or in vitro testing, but patients' experiences of different allergy test modalities have not been studied. The objective of this study was to investigate adult patients' experiences, views and preferences for allergy testing, exploring skin prick testing and allergen-specific IgE testing. METHODS A qualitative study of adult...