York Testing

[beegeebee]

Has anyone used the York Laboratories for food/drink allergy testing and was there a successful outcome? Any help appreciated.

[LazyGun]

I am sure we have had similar questions on this subject relatively recently, but can find no reference on a quick search.

This previous post might be of some use;
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Health-and-Fitness/Question1130287.html

The biggest single problem with the York Testing protocol is that it tests for IgG antibodies from blood, whereas a true food allergy, and certainly the more serious IgG- mediated allergic responses, will not show up by this method.All an IgG test can reliably demonstrate is an exposure to certain foods or food groups - not an allergic response.

So IgG testing is considered unproven as a diagnostic tool and the results of such tests lack diagnostic utiiity.

This is what the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunlogy have to say about IgG (4) testing;


"Testing for blood IgG4 against different foods is performed with large-scale screening for hundreds of food items by enzyme—linked immunosorbent assay-type and radioallergosorbent-type assays in young children, adolescents and adults. However, many serum samples show positive IgG4 results without corresponding clinical symptoms. These findings, combined with the lack of convincing evidence for histamine-releasing properties of IgG4 in humans, and lack of any controlled studies on the diagnostic value of IgG4 testing in food allergy, do not provide any basis for the hypothesis that food-specific IgG4 should be attributed with an effector role in food hypersensitivity.
In contrast to the disputed beliefs, IgG4 against foods indicates that the organism has been repeatedly exposed to food components, recognized as foreign proteins by the immune system. Its presence should not be considered as a factor which induces hypersensitivity, but rather as an indicator for immunological tolerance, linked to the activity of regulatory T cells. In conclusion, food-specific IgG4 does not indicate (imminent) food allergy or intolerance, but rather a physiological response of the immune system after exposition to food components. Therefore, testing of IgG4 to foods is considered as irrelevant for the laboratory work-up of food allergy or intolerance and should not be performed in case of food-related complaints."

(IgG(4) is the basis of the York Test)

An excellent article covering the whole area of IgG Food Allergy Testing can be found here;

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/igg-food-intolerance-tests-what-does-the-science-say/

Personally, I think they have no diagnostic value and can only serve to lighten your wallet... :)

[Sqad]

beegeebee.

I agree with LazyGun and what he is saying is that there is little evidence that a blood test is diagnostic of food/drink allergies.

[beegeebee]

LazyGun & Sqad, Thanks for the info and will diligently digest what you say, the gut feeling was a money making venture. Thanks again to you both.

[Eve]

I remember having some blood tests done in immunology when they were testing me for a latex allergy before I had an operation last year. I have a reaction to certain fruits and nuts in my mouth (which can suggest possible latex allergy apparently) and they picked up on some allergic responses via blood tests (cat, horse and other things).

Then I had the pinprick tests where they tested all kinds of things, from plant stuff to foods and measure the response against control pinpricks (one for allergy, one normal). I got results for a number of things, horsehair, certain pollens and trees and stuff, some nuts and fruits and was diagnosed with oral allergy syndrome (ok with latex though haha!).

There are specific tests doctors can do for things like coeliac I had done which was a blood test I think.

I'm also going for a lactose intolerance test which involves being given lactose then breathing into a little machine for 2 hours.

I'm also seeing a gastro dietician and am on a special diet to try and calm down bowel symptoms so all kinds of medical possibilities if you are having problems, rather than shelling out for one of those tests.