CRD Test: Your Key to Precise Allergy Diagnosis and Management

Allergy tests serve as diagnostic aids that are used to detect specific allergens that are responsible for allergic reactions in one's body. These tests are performed by various means, including skin prick tests, blood tests, and oral food challenges (OFC). In skin prick tests involved, the skin is exposed to little amounts of potential allergens and then the reaction is observed, while blood tests help in knowing the count of allergen-specific antibodies present in the body. For the management and treatment of allergic disorders, including food allergies, eczema, and asthma, accurate allergen identification is essential.

The practical application of Component-Resolved Diagnostics (CRD) technology has grown in significance in the current environment. CRD provides a deeper insight of the patient's allergy profile by enabling a more accurate identification of the particular protein components inside allergens that cause reactions. The advent of CRD represents a milestone in the food allergy diagnosis, allowing for better identification and characterisation of specific molecules that trigger allergic reactions. Moreover, CRD helps in predicting the evolution of the allergic process and the clinical risk of each patient and in stratifying the outcome of the OFC.

This technology enables personalized treatment plans, reduces the risk of severe allergic reactions, and improves the overall quality of life for individuals with allergies. By detecting the allergenic components precisely, CRD enhances the accuracy of diagnosis. Such accuracy aids in the development of targeted therapies, making it a very useful tool in allergy management.

Let’s learn more about this technology in allergy testing.

What is the CRD Test?

Allergies are hypersensitivity reactions resulting from the immune system's reaction to compounds that most people do not react to. Allergens are compounds that cause an allergic reaction. These allergens generate allergic responses when these are ingested, inhaled, injected, or touched.

Potential allergies include things like plants, materials, foods, mould spores, pet dander, insect venoms, and medications. They may cause a variety of symptoms, from minor to severe. Coughing, sneezing, hives, rashes, itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, low blood pressure, breathing difficulties, and/or asthma attacks can be experienced by the individuals in an allergic reaction. In severe cases, even death can result from allergic reactions if anaphylactic reactions are not addressed.

To find out if you are allergic to a particular substance, there are several test types that can be employed. To diagnose and treat allergies, the right testing is essential because there are a huge number of allergens in the environment.

A Component-Resolved Diagnostics (CRD) test is an advanced allergy testing method that identifies specific protein components within allergens responsible for triggering allergic reactions. This precise approach allows for more accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment of allergies.

Types of Allergy Tests

The commonly advised allergy tests are of following three types:

• Skin Prick Tests: The skin prick test, which is typically carried out on the back or forearm, is also known as a puncture or scratch test. This test uses crude extract of the allergen for in vivo testing of allergy. The skin is then observed for the appearance of rash after a certain period of time.
• Allergen Specific IgE Tests: Allergy testing via blood testing involves taking a blood sample, typically from the arm vein. Allergen specific IgE can be tested by various methods like ELISA, FEIA which use the entire allergen extract for detection of IgE antibodies Invitro
• Component Resolved Diagnosis (CRD) Test: It involves molecular allergy testing using the recombinant proteins for allergy testing. It is an advanced allergy testing method that identifies specific protein components within allergens responsible for triggering allergic reactions.

Why is the CRD Test Done?

• Upon breaking down the allergen into its components, there can be some cross-reactive components which are responsible for the cross reactive reactive sensitization. This cross reactive reactive sensitization explains why a person who has never been exposed to or consumed an allergen turns out to be allergic to an allergen. For eg a vegetarian being allergic to shrimp. The CCD inhibitor in CRD Assay ensures that the result is specifically due to the presence of IgE antibody against the allergen and not due to the “Cross Reacting Carbohydrate Determinant” which is present along with the allergen.
• CRD test paves way for high precision and accuracy. It is very important to accurately understand the specific allergen causing the allergic reaction for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes. 
• CRD gives deeper insights to understand the exact component of the allergen that is responsible for allergic reaction
• This test helps in finding specific allergen types in allergen source for defining the course of management of patients. 
• CRD explains if the allergen is going to cause no clinical symptoms, mild clinical symptoms, or severe anaphylactic reaction.
• This test accurately guides for the right course of treatment – immunotherapy, pharmacotherapy, treatment via biologics.

Advantages of CRD Technology

CRD offers nanoparticle based microarray chip coupled with cloud based AI powered allergy profiling software and forms base of allergy testing at molecular level:

• Molecular allergy testing is free of “Cross Reactive Carbohydrate Determinants” (which can cause false positive results in specific IgE tests).
• The allergen is available for domain binding in adequate amounts.
• The allergen is available in a stable form.
• The epitopes are available for binding.
• Single test would be able to detect allergies to 300 components.
• Highly specific and highly sensitive.

Who Should Take the CRD Test?

One should go for CRD test, if he/she is experiencing following:

• Patients with suspected allergies showing common symptoms like itching, running nose, sneezing, coughing, diarrhea, hives.
• Those with suspected parasitic or fungal infections.
• Certain autoimmune disorders.
• Patients who have a history of severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction that can cause breathing difficulty, swelling, hives, or a sharp drop in blood pressure. 
• Patients who haven't found relief from traditional allergy testing.

Conclusion

An allergic reaction might cause anything from bothersome congestion to potentially fatal anaphylactic shock. Substances that induce these kinds of allergic reactions can be detected using allergy tests like CRD tests. The optimal test for you will be determined by your doctor depending on your symptoms and any possible allergic triggers. Testing for allergies is a safe and reliable way to identify allergens.

Take control of your allergies by recognising your allergen right now and make way for better health. Get your CRD test done now at Dr. B. Lal Lab with high accuracy.