On June 5, 2022, the release of the “Chinese Expert Consensus on the Clinical Interpretation of Allergen Specific IgE Test” (hereinafter referred to as the Consensus) and the 2022 World Allergy Week Symposium were held in Beijing. The Consensus was initiated by the Allergy Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and jointly formulated by the National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and National Center for Children’s Health at Beijing Children’s Hospital. It aims to provide standardized, professional and practical clinical guidance for clinicians in China to diagnose allergic diseases.

There are hundreds of millions of allergic patients in China, and allergen specific IgE (sIgE) test plays a key role in pathogenic diagnosis of allergic diseases. Currently several in vitro diagnostic methods and technology are available in clinical application. However, the results of these tests always show discrepancies.  Most clinicians without professional training in the allergology may not be capable of accurately understanding and interpreting allergen test results.

The Consensus embodies the wisdom of many domestic experts in the field of allergology and allergic diseases. Focused on clinical practices, it introduces the techniques/systems of allergen specific IgE test, the consistency and differences between various testing methods, and the commonly used clinical allergen tests, and presents detailed and professional clinical interpretations of the results of various tests under various possible scenarios.

Yin Jia, President of the Allergist Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Ni Xin, President of Beijing Children’s Hospital, are co-correspondent authors of the Consensus; the co-authors are Associate Professor Guan Kai of PUMCH and Professor Xiang Li of Beijing Children’s Hospital. After eight months of data collection, organization and writing, and revision and improvement, the Consensus was officially published in the “Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine” in June 2022.

Gu Jinhui, Deputy Director General of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the National Health Commission, spoke highly of the Consensus. He pointed out that allergic diseases consume a huge amount of public health resources and impose a heavy social and economic burden. The prevention and treatment of allergic diseases have become one of the urgent public health and medical care issues in China. With the joint efforts of experts in the field of allergology, the diagnostic techniques and treatment methods of allergic diseases have been significantly improved. The formulation and promotion of the Consensus provides effective guidance for medical practitioners to interpret the results of allergen specific IgE tests and helps doctors better provide high-quality medical services to patients.

After the release of the Consensus, the 2022 World Allergy Week Symposium was held concurrently, attracting more than 10,000 people to study online.

Written by: The Department of Allergy and the Publicity Department

Translator: Liu Haiyan

Editor: Wang Zixi and Wang Yao