RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Traditional diagnostic tests such as skin prick tests (SPT) and specific IgE (slgE) against whole Anisakis simplex extract have low specificity. Consequently, allergy to A simplex is overdiagnosed. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to compare tests used in component-resolved diagnosis. METHODS: We evaluated 34 patients with allergy to A simplex, 15 patients with acute urticaria who were sensitized to A simplex but had no clinical history of allergy to A simplex, and 10 patients allergic to seafood. SPT, slgE (ELISA and ISAC-I 12), and the basophil activation test (BAT) were performed with A simplex whole extract and the molecular components rAni s 1, rAni s 3, and nPen m 1. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated and compared with different cutoffs. RESULTS: With the A simplex whole extract, SPT, slgE, and BAT yielded specificity values of 72%, 68%, and 70%, respectively, with a cutoff (wheal size) of 11.2 mm, an slgE value of 7.9 kUAIL, and a stimulation index of 1.9. Specificity increased to 100% using the molecular component rAni s 1 with SPT, slgE by ELISA, and ISAC-112. Neither rAni s 3 sensitization nor cross-reactivity with Pen m 1 was observed in patients sensitized to A simplex. CONCLUSION: rAni s 1 is recognized by 100% of our patients and is able to distinguish between patients allergic to A simplex and patients with acute urticaria who are sensitized to A simplex but have no clinical history of allergy to this parasite.