Abstract Background: e basophil activation test (BAT) represents a sensitive test method that is available for the detection of sensitization to rye and wheat
our in bakers with obstructive allergic airway disease. Since ImmunoCAP® failes to detect speci“c immunoglobulin E (IgE) in a part of the investigat- ed bakers with airway disease, BAT should be used as an additional research method. Methods: A collective of 248 bakers taking part in the prevention program of the German Social Ac- cident Insurance Institution for the foodstu–s and catering industry (Berufsgenossenscha— Nahrungsmittel und Gastgewerbe, BGN), as well as 31 non-allergic BGN employees as control subjects,
were investigated. BAT was performed according to the manufacturers’ instruction and reagents (Beckman Coulter, Krefeld, Germany). Activated baso- phils were stained with CD203c-PE and visualized using
ow cytometry. e percentage of basophils that show signi“cantly higher CD203c expression following allergen-speci“c stimulation with rye and wheat
our compared with unstimulated basophils yields the stimulation index (SI), which is considered as an positive allergic reaction from a value of
ž 2.0. Total IgE and speci“c IgE to rye and wheat
our were detected using the ImmunoCAP® FEIA
system (ermo Fisher Scienti“c). Results: In total, 7 % of a–ected bakers and 10 % of controls were non-responders. Using BAT, 83 % of „responder bakers“ were positive for either wheat or rye
our. Control subjects were negative for both wheat and rye
our. is yielded a sensitivity of 83 % and a speci“city of 100 % for BAT stimulation related to the control group. Of the
our-negative bak- ers in the CAP-FEIA, 38 % tested positive to
our in the BAT. Conclusions: BAT is a method well suited as an adjunct to the serological diagnosis of allergic baker‘s asthma and rhinitis, particularly if the results of serological speci“c IgE detection are inconclusive in relation to the patient history.