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Measurement of natural rubber latex allergen levels in medical gloves by allergen‐specific IgE‐ELISA inhibition, RAST inhibition, and skin prick test
Author(s) -
Palosuo T.,
MäkinenKiljunen S.,
Alenius H.,
Reunala T.,
Yip E.,
Turjanmaa K.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
allergy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.363
H-Index - 173
eISSN - 1398-9995
pISSN - 0105-4538
DOI - 10.1111/j.1398-9995.1998.tb03774.x
Subject(s) - allergen , immunoglobulin e , medicine , latex allergy , allergy , natural rubber , immunology , chemistry , antibody , organic chemistry
Exposure to natural rubber latex (NRL) medical gloves poses risks to patients sensitized to NRL and to users of protective gloves. Previous studies have shown that extractable allergen levels of the gloves vary widely. Since most of the available laboratory methods of NRL allergen measurement lack adequate validation, we wanted to evaluate the performance of a recently developed competitive IgE‐ELISA‐inhibition method in relation to the skin prick test (SPT) and RAST inhibition, as well as to extractable protein quantification and an immunochemical latex antigen assay (LEAP). Twenty samples of surgical (n = l4) and examination gloves (n=6), covering >90% of medical gloves marketed in Finland in 1994–5. were collected by the Finnish National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, coded, extracted, and analyzed by the five methods. The IgE‐ELISA inhibition correlated highly significantly with SPT (r=0.94) and RAST inhibition (r=0.96). Likewise, ELISA inhibition and RAST inhibition showed highly significant correlation (P=0.96, P<0.0001 in all three instances). Protein quantification by a modified Lowry method also correlated highly significantly with SPT (r=0.80). RAST inhibition (r=0.82), and ELISA inhibition (r=0.81. P100 AU/ml) in seven of the 20 glove brands analyzed. In conclusion, the results of a novel IgE‐ELISA‐inhibition method of measuring NRL allergen levels in medical gloves correlated highly significantly with those of SPT TTie ELISA method was found to be sensitive, reproducible, technically easy, inexpensive, and suitable for the analysis of large numbers of NRL products. The results of extensive market surveys in 1994 and 1995, communicated to the medical community in Finland, appear to have had a clear effect in moving glove purchasing policies toward the use of low‐allergen gloves.