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Immunology and allergy

Allergy testing: skin prick tests and specific IgE

What skin prick tests and serum specific IgE measure, the 3 mm and 0.35 kU/L thresholds, controls and medicines that blunt the skin, sensitisation versus allergy, component (recombinant) allergens for peanut, nuts, wheat and venom, and when a result changes management.

Tier 2Medical sciences concept

Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made

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At a glance

  • Both tests detect allergen-specific IgE. Skin prick tests (SPT) detect IgE bound to skin mast cells; serum specific IgE (sIgE, once called RAST) detects free IgE in blood.
  • A positive result shows sensitisation. It means allergy only when it fits a history of reactions on exposure. ASCIA advises against testing without a matching history.
  • SPT is ASCIA's preferred first test for most IgE-mediated disease: cheap, results in 20 minutes, slightly more sensitive. sIgE is used when the skin can't be tested or drugs can't be stopped.

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Last updated
14 November 2026
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