Asia Pac Allergy.  2019 Jul;9(3):e21. 10.5415/apallergy.2019.9.e21.

Predictive value of peanut skin prick test, specific IgE in peanut-sensitized children in Singapore

• Chong KW
• Saffari SE
• Chan N
• Seah R
• Tan CH
• Goh SH
• Goh A
• Loh W

• KMID: 2454155
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5415/apallergy.2019.9.e21

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The predictive decision points for both peanut skin prick test (SPT) wheal size and serum IgE concentrations, in peanut-sensitized children, have not been evaluated in Singapore.
OBJECTIVE
We aim to derive clinically useful predictive decision points to be used for risk stratification of oral food challenge (OFC) in peanut-sensitized patients.
METHODS
Patients with a positive SPT to peanut, performed during a 4-year period between 2012 and 2016, were included in a retrospective chart review. The patients were assessed for their peanut allergy status based on a convincing clinical history. Their first SPT and serum IgE results done at presentation to our centre were used.
RESULTS
There were 269 patients with a clinical diagnosis of peanut allergy based on recent immediate reaction to peanut and 59 patients whom were tolerating peanuts regularly. There were 251 patients sensitized to peanut, without prior known peanut exposure. A wheal size of ≥8 mm and a peanut-specific IgE of ≥6 kU/L each provided for a 95% positive predictive value of clinical reaction to peanuts; the larger the wheal size on SPT, the higher the probability.
CONCLUSION
The cutoff values derived in this study can help clinicians in the risk assessment of OFC in peanut-sensitized patients. Prospective studies using OFCs for the diagnosis of peanut allergy are needed to confirm the diagnostic performance of these tests in predicting OFC outcomes.

Keyword

Peanut allergy; Singapore; Child; Skin prick test; Immunoglobulin E

MeSH Terms

Arachis*
Child*
Diagnosis
Humans
Immunoglobulin E*
Peanut Hypersensitivity
Prospective Studies
Retrospective Studies
Risk Assessment
Singapore*
Skin*
Immunoglobulin E