Allergen, Insects and Venom, Honey Bee IgE

Also known as: HONEY

Clinical Use

Use

This test measures allergen-specific IgE levels to evaluate allergic sensitivity to honey bee venom. It provides a quantitative assessment of IgE antibodies which are indicative of allergic reactions. The results help in diagnosing IgE-mediated hypersensitivity, guiding allergy management, and potentially supporting immunotherapy decisions. However, IgE levels do not always correlate with clinical symptoms, thus clinical correlation with in vivo reactivity and patient history is essential. It's particularly useful for patients with a clinical suspicion of honey bee venom allergy.

Special Instructions

Not provided.

Limitations

The test specifically measures IgE antibodies and does not provide information on other types of hypersensitivity or allergy mechanisms, like T-cell mediated responses. Negative results do not rule out clinical allergy or anaphylaxis, as some individuals with negative results may still react upon exposure to the allergen. Also, results in the range of 0.10-0.34 kU/L have clinical relevance that is undetermined and should be interpreted cautiously, always considering the full allergic profile of the patient including clinical history and other test results.

Test Details

FDA Approved