Using micro-arrayed allergen molecules to achieve molecular IgE sensitization profiling can significantly enhance asthma diagnosis and treatment personalization, according to a new study.
The Austrian study, “Molecular IgE Sensitization Profiling With Micro-Arrayed Allergen Molecules in Adult Patients With Asthma From the LEAD Cohort: A Precision Medicine Approach,” was recently published in the journal, Allergy. Researchers analyzed 436 adult patients with current asthma and focused on distinguishing allergic from nonallergic asthma types using advanced molecular diagnostics. By testing IgE responses to 110 allergen molecules and conducting skin prick tests (SPT), researchers identified distinct sensitization patterns that could guide precision medicine approaches.
Key findings from the Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy (LEAD) cohort study include:
- IgE sensitization was present in 73.2% of asthma patients, with Bet v 1 (birch pollen) and Ole e 1 (olive pollen) being the most common outdoor allergens.
- Fel d 1 (cat allergen) was the most frequently recognized indoor allergen, followed by house dust mite and dog allergens
- IgE-sensitized patients were younger (median age 44) compared to nonsensitized patients (median age 58).
- Sensitized individuals showed better lung function and less dyspnea but more allergic bronchitis.
- Study participants were more likely to use antihistamines and less likely to rely on inhaled corticosteroids.
- Researchers observed lower eosinophil counts in sensitized patients, regardless of corticosteroid treatment.
According to the study’s authors, the findings support the use of molecular allergy diagnostics to identify genuine sensitizations and pave the way for personalized asthma therapies, such as allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) and biologic treatments.
“These results show that a large share of adult patients with asthma have allergic asthma and that we can identify them quickly and precisely,” said senior study co-author Rudolf Valenta, MD, a professor of allergology at Medical University of Vienna, in a news release. “This is important because allergic asthma can be treated causally, not just symptomatically, using allergen-specific immunotherapy.”
Dr. Valenta said the findings offer promising avenues for refining asthma management strategies and highlight the importance of molecular profiling in chronic respiratory diseases.
