Basophil activation test shows high accuracy in the diagnosis of peanut and tree nut allergy: The Markers of Nut Allergy Study

The Markers of Nut Allergy Study prospectively enrolled children with confirmed or suspected peanut and tree nut allergies at Canadian and Austrian pediatric centers to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the basophil activation test. A mixed-effects model combining responses at two allergen concentrations achieved areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.98 for peanut, 0.97 for cashew, 0.92 for hazelnut, 0.95 for pistachio, and 0.97 for walnut. The test outperformed specific IgE testing for peanut and hazelnut and showed comparable performance for walnut, indicating that it may reduce the need for high-risk oral food challenges in multi-nut-sensitized children.

Allergy, 76(6), 1800–1812