LAD2 Mast Cell Activation Test Associates With the Reaction Severity and Diagnoses BAT Nonresponders in Hymenoptera Venom Allergy

Abstract

Background: The usefulness of the mast cell activation test (MAT) in diagnosing patients with uninterpretable basophil activation test (BAT) results caused by nonresponding basophils has not been addressed. Our study evaluated whether the results of the MAT were associated with the severity of the allergic reaction. Methods: We recruited 39 patients with Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA), 22 nonsensitized controls, and 37 BAT nonresponding HVA patients. Specific IgE levels for honeybee venom (HBV) and yellow jacket venom (YJV) and total IgE were quantified using the IMMULITE® system. We performed a BAT and a MAT, which was based on the response of LAD2 cells to HBV and YJV. Results: We first optimized the susceptibility of LAD2 cells to IgE-mediated degranulation in HVA and showed that prestimulation with IL-33 and IL-6 significantly increased the responsiveness of LAD2 cells to allergen stimulation (P