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Specific IgE test
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The allergy blood test measures an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE. Antibodies are proteins the immune system makes to fight things it recognizes as foreign. The specific version of the test measures how much IgE the body makes against one particular allergen, that is, against one specific substance. One test per suspect: each allergen is measured separately.
Having some IgE in the blood is normal. What changes in an allergy is that the immune system treats that substance as if it were a threat, and so it makes more IgE against it.
There is one detail that often gets misread. A high result suggests that there may indeed be an allergy to whatever was tested. But the amount of IgE that came back does not predict how severe the allergy may be.
In brief
An allergy blood test measures immunoglobulin E antibodies; the specific version measures how much IgE the body makes against a single allergen, with one test for each one.
One test per suspect: each allergen is measured separately.
Having some IgE is normal; in an allergic reaction the immune system treats the allergen as a threat and makes more.
A high result suggests an allergy to that allergen, but the amount of IgE measured does not predict how severe the allergy may be.
Sources (1)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineAllergy Blood Test, MedlinePlus Medical TestPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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