Allergic disease of unknown cause, watch out for shock...Need a precise diagnosis
Feb 28, 2025
An office worker in his 20s who enjoys hiking every weekend often sneezes, has a runny nose, and intermittent headaches after hiking. At first, I thought it was simple fatigue or a cold, but I visited the hospital for repeated symptoms after hiking. However, no clear cause was found in existing allergy tests. Mr. B, in his 30s with children, also has similar concerns. When a child eats only food containing eggs, his mouth becomes red, his body becomes hives, and he sometimes has diarrhea. No one in the family showed the same symptoms, and the allergy test result was 'no specific findings'.
Even if there are such distinct symptoms, the exact cause of the allergy test is often not found. If the exact cause is not identified, proper treatment is difficult, so patients have to live their daily lives in anxiety. Even more worrisome is that because the cause is unknown, 'anaphylaxis', a sudden shock symptom caused by allergies, cannot be avoided. Therefore, when allergies are suspected, an appropriate test to determine the exact cause is of paramount importance.
◇Allergic diseases continue to increase...In severe cases, sudden shock may occur
Allergy refers to a phenomenon in which our body's immune system generally overreacts to certain harmless substances. It has a characteristic that it appears only to people who are sensitive to a specific causative agent, not everyone. In recent years, allergic diseases have been steadily increasing due to various causes such as air pollution, climate change, and westernized eating habits. According to the National Health Statistics of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the diagnosis rate of allergic rhinitis among adults over the age of 19 increased by 4.4%p in 10 years from 16.8% in 2012 to 21.2% in 2022, and other allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma are also steadily increasing.
Allergies are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and sometimes change according to the life cycle. Allergic diseases have a family history and tend to be genetic, but most of them are environmental factors. Allergen or antigen, the causative agent of allergies, varies from individual to individual. From environmental substances such as mold, pollen, and specific trees to major foods such as eggs and milk, as well as substances in daily life such as animal hair, mosquitoes, and cockroaches, the causes of allergies vary widely.
Allergic diseases appear in various forms, including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and asthma. Allergen (antigen), the causative agent that causes allergies, and the name of the disease may vary depending on which part of the body causes an allergic reaction, but the mechanism of action is similar. Symptoms usually appear at mild levels, such as runny nose similar to a cold, sneezing, eye itchiness, and skin rash. In severe cases, chest pain and shortness of breath can occur, and in rare cases, it can lead to life-threatening anaphylactic shock, so special attention is needed.
◇ Attention is paid to tests to identify 54 types of allergic antigens that are difficult to identify with existing tests
Allergy has a very complex cause and various causes, making it difficult to identify the exact source of symptoms alone. It is not easy to proceed with appropriate treatment unless the exact cause is identified. Therefore, it is most important to identify allergens through precise diagnostic tests, and to combine optimal treatment and continuous management accordingly. In most cases, if an allergic reaction occurs, a multi-allergic antigen concurrent test, 'MAST', which can simultaneously test 108 types of allergic antigens, is conducted. The test can simultaneously analyze 108 of the most common allergic antigens in Koreans with a single blood collection. However, there are also antigens that are not detected in the test, so even if there are clear allergic symptoms, the test results can be negative.
As a result, a 'MAST Plus' test that can supplement existing allergy tests has recently attracted attention. Mast Plus is a new test method that can test 54 additional antigens that could not be identified in the existing mast allergy test. It can detect various allergy-causing substances such as 30 kinds of food, 20 kinds of environmental/other kinds, and 4 kinds of animals. In particular, it contains rare antigens and a number of fruit antigens that can only be found in domestic mast tests, and can analyze in detail the constituent antigens of major food allergies such as eggs, milk, and wheat. Albumin and avomucoid in eggs, lactalbumin and casein, which are specific proteins in milk, and gluten components in wheat can be identified.
The mast-plus test is particularly useful for patients with high levels of total lgE (immune globulin E), but no specific cause has been found in existing tests, or allergic symptoms appear in various environments. In addition, patients with allergic diseases such as respiratory, skin, and food allergies can additionally proceed with this test to help set the direction of treatment through more precise diagnosis. In particular, in the case of food allergies, unnecessary dietary restrictions can be reduced by accurate analysis of ingredients that could not be identified in existing allergy tests.
Lee Ji-won, a specialist in diagnostic laboratory medicine at the GC Green Cross Medical Foundation, said "As the number of allergy symptoms whose cause cannot be defined increases due to changes in lifestyle and environment, a precise diagnosis to determine the exact cause has become more important than anything else.""The "MAST PLUS" test is expected to help with personalized treatment and management by allowing more detailed diagnosis of allergy causes that have not been found in existing allergy tests. "
Even if there are such distinct symptoms, the exact cause of the allergy test is often not found. If the exact cause is not identified, proper treatment is difficult, so patients have to live their daily lives in anxiety. Even more worrisome is that because the cause is unknown, 'anaphylaxis', a sudden shock symptom caused by allergies, cannot be avoided. Therefore, when allergies are suspected, an appropriate test to determine the exact cause is of paramount importance.
◇Allergic diseases continue to increase...In severe cases, sudden shock may occur
Allergy refers to a phenomenon in which our body's immune system generally overreacts to certain harmless substances. It has a characteristic that it appears only to people who are sensitive to a specific causative agent, not everyone. In recent years, allergic diseases have been steadily increasing due to various causes such as air pollution, climate change, and westernized eating habits. According to the National Health Statistics of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the diagnosis rate of allergic rhinitis among adults over the age of 19 increased by 4.4%p in 10 years from 16.8% in 2012 to 21.2% in 2022, and other allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and asthma are also steadily increasing.
Allergies are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and sometimes change according to the life cycle. Allergic diseases have a family history and tend to be genetic, but most of them are environmental factors. Allergen or antigen, the causative agent of allergies, varies from individual to individual. From environmental substances such as mold, pollen, and specific trees to major foods such as eggs and milk, as well as substances in daily life such as animal hair, mosquitoes, and cockroaches, the causes of allergies vary widely.
Allergic diseases appear in various forms, including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and asthma. Allergen (antigen), the causative agent that causes allergies, and the name of the disease may vary depending on which part of the body causes an allergic reaction, but the mechanism of action is similar. Symptoms usually appear at mild levels, such as runny nose similar to a cold, sneezing, eye itchiness, and skin rash. In severe cases, chest pain and shortness of breath can occur, and in rare cases, it can lead to life-threatening anaphylactic shock, so special attention is needed.
◇ Attention is paid to tests to identify 54 types of allergic antigens that are difficult to identify with existing tests
Allergy has a very complex cause and various causes, making it difficult to identify the exact source of symptoms alone. It is not easy to proceed with appropriate treatment unless the exact cause is identified. Therefore, it is most important to identify allergens through precise diagnostic tests, and to combine optimal treatment and continuous management accordingly. In most cases, if an allergic reaction occurs, a multi-allergic antigen concurrent test, 'MAST', which can simultaneously test 108 types of allergic antigens, is conducted. The test can simultaneously analyze 108 of the most common allergic antigens in Koreans with a single blood collection. However, there are also antigens that are not detected in the test, so even if there are clear allergic symptoms, the test results can be negative.
As a result, a 'MAST Plus' test that can supplement existing allergy tests has recently attracted attention. Mast Plus is a new test method that can test 54 additional antigens that could not be identified in the existing mast allergy test. It can detect various allergy-causing substances such as 30 kinds of food, 20 kinds of environmental/other kinds, and 4 kinds of animals. In particular, it contains rare antigens and a number of fruit antigens that can only be found in domestic mast tests, and can analyze in detail the constituent antigens of major food allergies such as eggs, milk, and wheat. Albumin and avomucoid in eggs, lactalbumin and casein, which are specific proteins in milk, and gluten components in wheat can be identified.
The mast-plus test is particularly useful for patients with high levels of total lgE (immune globulin E), but no specific cause has been found in existing tests, or allergic symptoms appear in various environments. In addition, patients with allergic diseases such as respiratory, skin, and food allergies can additionally proceed with this test to help set the direction of treatment through more precise diagnosis. In particular, in the case of food allergies, unnecessary dietary restrictions can be reduced by accurate analysis of ingredients that could not be identified in existing allergy tests.
Lee Ji-won, a specialist in diagnostic laboratory medicine at the GC Green Cross Medical Foundation, said "As the number of allergy symptoms whose cause cannot be defined increases due to changes in lifestyle and environment, a precise diagnosis to determine the exact cause has become more important than anything else.""The "MAST PLUS" test is expected to help with personalized treatment and management by allowing more detailed diagnosis of allergy causes that have not been found in existing allergy tests. "
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
