In vitro testing for allergy diagnosis. Comparison of methods in common use.

In vitro assays for the measurement of specific IgE have been available for the last 30 years. Over this time there have been significant changes in their technology, ranging from a long 3-day test to a short 3-hour test and from a labor intensive test to a fully automated test. These new innovations have enabled today's in vitro assays to be far more efficient, reliable, and reproducible.