Time-dependent Changes of Histamine Release Test in the Low Responders(Papers for cerebrating the Forty Aniversary of the Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Women's Medical University Center East)

Histamine release test (HRT) is an important in vitro method of food allergy screening and of confirming specific allergens. It is also expected to be an alternative to quantification of specific serum IgE in terms of sensitivity and specificity. However, some patients belonging to the low responder group show weak histamine release after control anti-IgE antibody stimulation. In order to reveal the background of this low responder group, several serum parameters of clinical samples were analyzed in a time dependent manner. Blood samples were obtained from 627 patients who visited our clinic with complaints of food allergy. One hundred fifty-three patients (24.4%) were low responders for HRT (Shionogi). HRT was conducted repeatedly in a time dependent manner in 54(87 samples) of the 153 patients. Age, total histamine concentration, non-specific histamine concentration, total IgE, negative rate of RAST, and the drug administration rate were measured and surveyed in these patients. This study revealed that, as to the relation between age and HRT data, low responder rate was higher in younger patients and they became responders and again changed into low responders with recovery from the allergic condition. The administration rate of anti-allergic drugs was higher in low responders