02/18/2026
Allermetrix is an allergy reference laboratory that has been providing quality results for over 500 allergens for 20 years. The Allermetrix liquid phase allergen technology is different from the current commercially available tests. It has lower assay background, better accessibility for antibodies and offers higher sensitivity.
Allermetrix also offers the largest menu that can be tested with IgE, IgG, and IgG4 antibodies. Traditional allergy testing identifies IgE antibodies that cause allergic reactions like hives, itching, and sneezing. Testing for IgG and IgG4 antibodies to the different allergens are used by many providers for evaluation of exposure (e.g. molds), and food sensitivity. Allermetrix has over 220 foods that can be tested with any of the 3 antibodies.
We offer specialized food testing like IgE for alpha-gal to identify patients with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a somewhat regional condition that causes allergic reactions to mammalian meat like beef, pork, or lamb. This is a recently described condition that has caused at least one death due to anaphylaxis. Our alpha-gal risk panel helps to determine the potential severity of the syndrome. Another specialized test is for peanut allergy. Many people with IgE to peanut do not have clinical peanut allergy and our peanut risk panel helps to identify those who are.
Food allergy and sensitivity are common problems, and testing can help identify foods to avoid. Avoidance and rotation diets based on blood testing can alleviate many symptoms. Symptoms of food allergy usually occur within minutes to hours of eating the food. People who have IgE mediated food allergy often react quickly and sometimes reactions can be life threatening. Blood testing for IgE will identify such immediate reactive foods. Other food sensitivities can cause reactions many hours to days later. These reactions are less easily identified as “allergic reactions”. They can be headaches, lethargy, joint pain, intestinal upset, skin rashes, sneezing, anxiety and mood changes. Testing for foods that can be responsible for these more diffuse symptoms is done using IgG4. Using IgG4 to identify potential causes of food sensitivity can be helpful to determine what foods to avoid. If after avoidance for a period of time, symptoms go away or lessen significantly, some foods can be reintroduced in a rotation diet. In this way, reactive foods are only eaten once every 4 or more days. This reduces exposure and lessens the immune system activation.
IgG4 testing is controversial, and some providers use IgG testing in the same way. IgG has 4 subclasses, of which IgG4 is one. IgG4 has many unique characteristics that make it both anti-inflammatory and activating in different situations. IgG testing which tests for all 4 of the subclasses will identify exposure to the food, but the link to sensitivity is poor except perhaps for gluten sensitivity. It is important to test people who exhibit symptoms that could be caused by food sensitivity, and only foods that are eaten 3 or more times per week are considered likely causes. As the rotation diet can be used to comfortably eat foods that are IgG4 reactive in blood testing, therefore foods not eaten frequently are not likely to cause IgG4 related symptoms.
Many inhalant allergens cross-react with food allergens. There are families of foods that will for example, cross-react with ragweed and others that react with mugwort. Some inhalant allergies can be exacerbated by cross-reactive foods during the pollen season.
Allermetrix is owned and operated by 2 Ph.D. scientists who have been working in the allergy field for at least 30 years. Our expertise in food and inhalant allergies can help you to improve your allergy patient outcomes. Give us a call and check out our website, www.allermetrix.com.
Phone: 615-599-4100
Email: [email protected]
