Determination of cat IgE antibodies against allergens in the environment

Genomia uses allergy tests by Alegrovet company. 

The test of Alergovet are serological tests to detect specific IgE against different allergens, developed especially for veterinary use. The technique of Alergovet is an ELISA indirect that permits to reach sensibilities and  specificities superior than 85-90%. The test is able to detect allergens for which the patient is sensitive. A positive result on environmental allergens panel will let us elaborate the immunotherapy for the immune system to be able to make a response to these allergens in a normal way, and to cure allergy. A positive result in food allergens will let us know which type of food must be restricted from the diet, in order to improve its symptoms. Diagnostic test enables the detection of following allergens:

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For our tests, we require a serum sample – the required sample volume is 3 ml. It is not necessary to stop the symptomatic treatment (corticosteroids, antihistamines, etc.).

For sample storing and sending no special conditions are required. Do not freeze the sample. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to package and send out.

Wrap the serum sample in a napkin and put it in an air-cushion envelope. Do not delay sending the sample. Cooling of the sending is not required.

Send the sample per normal mail to the address of the laboratory: Genomia, Republikánská 6, 31200 Plzeň.

You will receive an email with pdf file result report, approximately within 14 days.

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When can we do the test: patient election, age, year period.

Although the "in vitro" test can be achieve all the year, in some occasions, it is recommended to achieve the tests when the animal presents more symptoms.

It is important to know that patients under one year of age, we can have a case where the animal has allergic symptoms, but the antibody levels are not yet high enough or have not been exposed to the allergens that will cause the allergy pathology to them. That can make us obtain results that can change with time. So we recommend waiting until the animal is one year old before doing the allergy test.

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Interpretation of results

We cannot forget that the test results are only data inside the allergy diagnostic, and they must be interpreted together with the rest of data in the clinic history, exploration and another complementary test.

The results being a semi-cuantitative technique will be expressed in:

• Negative
• Borderline
• Positive
• High Positive

The highly positive and positive results should be interpreted like the most important ones at the moment of planning the processing, and are the ones that should be included in the immunotherapy or in the diets of elimination.

In the case of food allergies, the positive results will be useful as a base to establish an elimination diet that will confirm us the preliminary diagnostic.

The borderline results should be interpreted in function of the rest of the data, not being included normally in the immunotherapy; but if being keeping in mind for any another type of measure. Also they will be considered in case of very young animals, in symptomatic processing to high dose or in animals with clear sintomatology and without other clear positive results.

We should not forget that a negative result does not exclude 100% the diagnosis of allergy, since it is said that around 10-15% of the atopic animals present negative results to the detection of high levels of IgE.

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For more information about allergies and immunotherapy continue here.