German researchers reported a method to detect allergen-specific antibodies in nasal secretions instead of blood samples. Photo courtesy of CDC

April 17 (UPI) -- German researchers have developed an allergy diagnostic test using nasal secretions instead of a blood test, a medical journal reported on Friday.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich and the Helmholtz Zentrum München, a Munich-based medical research facility, demonstrated that sufficient quantities of allergy antibodies for a diagnosis can be effectively measured in nasal secretions, according to a study published in the journal Allergy.


The noninvasive sampling method does not involve needles to draw blood, instead using a nasal smears, a method of collection secretion samples, to measure antibody concentrations.

The gentler method of finding material to study, using biochip technology which can perform hundreds of simultaneous biochemical reactions, is regarded as a breakthrough.

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"A big advantage of allergy diagnostics with a nasal smear is that it is a good option for small children, as compared to blood samples or skin prick testing. For that age group, a hyposensitization therapy is important because allergic rhinitis -- inflammation and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, characterized by a runny nose and stuffiness -- can develop into allergic asthma," Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, a researcher and professor at TUM, said in a press release.

Blood-based and secretion-based results were nearly uniform in tests, researchers reported, noting that "results could be of high relevance for the future improvement of clinical diagnostics, especially in children with allergic airway disease."

Roughly 7.7 percent of the U.S. population has reported hay fever in the last year, and 9.6 percent of those under 18 have some form of respiratory allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.