Not wool, but squirrels
A common misconception is that allergies arise from wool. In fact, the reaction is caused by proteins found in the animal's saliva, urine, and exfoliated skin particles; the wool only transfers them. Therefore, “hypoallergenic” breeds in the strict sense do not exist, and the cat’s allergen is so stable and volatile that it is found in rooms where the animal has not lived for years, and even in the apartments of people who have never kept cats. The panel is indicated if you experience a runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, coughing or asthma attacks in the presence of animals or while visiting their owners. The result is important for decision-making: with confirmed sensitization and bronchial asthma, contact with an animal significantly worsens disease control.
Blood test instead of skin test
Determination of specific IgE in the blood has important advantages over skin tests: it can be carried out during an exacerbation, while taking antihistamines, with severe dermatitis, when the skin is unsuitable for testing, and in young children. There is also no risk of a systemic reaction, since the allergen is not introduced into the body.
The panel format allows you to immediately test a group of related allergens in one blood draw - it is cheaper and more informative than testing each one separately.
How to read the result
- class 0 - no antibodies detected
- class 1 - low level, clinical significance is questionable
- grades 2–3 - moderate level, reaction is likely
- grades 4–6 – high and very high level, reaction is very likely
The main rule of interpretation
The presence of specific IgE means sensitization - the readiness of the immune system to respond, but not the allergy itself. A diagnosis is made only if laboratory data coincide with real symptoms after contact with this allergen. That is why you should not exclude a product from the diet only on the basis of analysis, without clinical manifestations - especially in children.