ABSTRACT
The skin prick/puncture test (SPT) is the most common method within allergology used for screening of sensitization to food allergens and primary diagnostic tool of food allergen sensitization. A positive SPT with food indicates IgE sensitization, i.e., atopy, and possible IgE-mediated allergy. The indication for SPT or conventional in vitro IgE testing has been diagnosis of species specific sensitization or allergy. However, during recent years, component-resolved diagnosis using an allergen chip based technology, ISAC, has made it possible to reveal sensitization to a relatively low number of allergen protein families with cross-reacting molecules within related but even unrelated allergen source materials. This will make SPT important as a screening method for later molecular diagnosis. This chapter discusses the factors influencing SPT as a diagnostic tool in food allergy, the registration, evaluation and interpretation of skin prick/puncture tests in clinical trials as well as in daily practice.
