Abstract

The study was aimed at identifying the presence of specific IgE antibody levels in vitro to antigen. Based on positive skin test with Cynodon dactylon and elevated levels of total IgE (>325 IU/ml), 104 patients were selected. Healthy, asymptomatic individuals (25) with low total IgE (<325 IU/ml) were included as controls. The mean OD values by ELISA for specific IgE were 0.67±0.21, 0.57±0.18 and 0.56±0.18 with whole pollen antigen, 46-37 and 36-32 kD fraction, respectively. The specificity and sensitivity between skin test positivity with whole pollen antigen verses fraction with mol.wt 46-37 kD was 90 and 90% and for fraction with mol.wt 36-32 kD was found to be 81.1 and 89.4%. The clusters with mol.wt 46-37 and 36-32 kD may be useful in in-vitro diagnostic test. Fractions within these clusters need to be identified for a higher specificity.

Key words: Immmunoglobulin E, hole pollen antigen, fraction