Comparison of Skin Tests and RAST for the Diagnosis of Bee Sting Allergy

Abstract
Skin tests and estimation of specific IgE‐antibodies by the RAST are evaluated as diagnostic procedures in bee sting hypersensitivity with the following results: 1 Tests with venom antigens are highly superior to tests with wholebody extracts. 2 With bee venom results of skin tests and RAST correspond in 82%, with bee wholebody extracts in 68%. 3 Both with skin tests and the RAST with bee venom a good discrimination between patients with bee sting hypersensitivity and non‐allergic controls is observed. Skin tests with bee venom are somewhat more sensitive than bee venom‐RAST. 3 With the careful skin test procedure chosen, no adverse reactions were observed.