Biomarker: F091-IgE Mango

Overview

F091-IgE Mango measures immunoglobulin E antibodies that specifically recognize mango (Mangifera indica) proteins. Mango-specific IgE is relevant to immediate, IgE-mediated reactions such as oral allergy symptoms, urticaria, angioedema, wheezing, and, rarely, anaphylaxis. A detectable or elevated result indicates sensitization but does not by itself confirm clinical mango allergy, predict reaction severity, or establish that mango ingestion causes symptoms. The test is clinically useful when interpreted with the patient’s exposure history, symptoms, physical examination, and, when appropriate, skin testing or a medically supervised oral food challenge.

Clinical Use Cases

Support evaluation of suspected immediate hypersensitivity to mango.
Assess patients who develop symptoms within minutes to hours after eating mango.
Provide an alternative to skin testing when skin disease, medication use, or concern about a systemic reaction limits skin testing.
Evaluate possible pollen-food or other cross-reactive sensitization involving mango.
Support assessment of suspected food allergy in conjunction with clinical history and other diagnostic tests.
Monitor sensitization over time when clinically indicated, although changes in specific IgE do not independently confirm allergy resolution.

Specimen Types

Venous whole blood collected for laboratory separation of serum.
Serum is the typical specimen for allergen-specific IgE measurement.

Measurement Methods

Quantitative serum allergen-specific IgE immunoassay.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA.
Fluorescent or enzyme-labeled solid-phase immunoassays, including platforms historically referred to as RAST or CAP.
Skin-prick or prick-to-prick testing with mango extract or fresh mango may be used as complementary clinical tests, but these methods do not measure F091-IgE in serum.
Oral food challenge under specialist supervision may be used to confirm or exclude clinical allergy when indicated.

Test Preparation and Influencing Factors

Fasting is generally not required for a serum allergy blood test.
Patients should report all medicines and supplements. Antihistamines may affect skin-test results, but they generally do not prevent collection of a serum specific-IgE sample.
Medications should not be stopped unless directed by the treating clinician.
Results should be interpreted with the timing, reproducibility, and nature of symptoms after mango exposure.
A positive result may reflect sensitization without clinical allergy and may occur because of cross-reactivity with related allergens.
A negative result does not completely exclude mango allergy because available assays may not detect every relevant mango allergen.
The measured IgE concentration does not predict the severity of a future reaction.
Total IgE, atopic disease, smoking, and parasitic infection may influence overall IgE interpretation, but they do not establish mango allergy by themselves.
Oral food challenges carry a risk of severe reactions and should be performed only under appropriate medical supervision.