ABSTRACT
The clinical immunology laboratory provides an array of analytical measurements that aid clinicians in the diagnosis, management, and epidemiological study of IgE-mediated diseases. After the discovery of IgE as a unique antibody isotype in the late 1960s, immunoassays were rapidly developed to quantify total serum IgE and allergen-speci c IgE antibodies in human serum. During the subsequent 30 years, there have been marked improvements in the solid phase matrices, conjugate-labeling technology, and the availability of standardized reference reagents and more uniform data processing methods. These have led to more sensitive and speci c assays for total and allergen-speci c IgE antibody and other analytes that are useful in the diagnosis and management of individuals with type 1, or immediate-type, hypersensitivity.
