Simple Blood Test Identifies Sesame Seed Allergy in Children
Edited By Archita Rai
May 08, 2026
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TOPLINE:
A basophil activation test (BAT) performed better than skin prick tests and standard sesame-specific blood tests for diagnosing sesame seed allergy in children and was projected to reduce the need for oral food challenges.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers assessed whether a BAT could accurately diagnose sesame seed allergy compared with standard allergy tests and oral food challenges.
They included 100 children aged between 6 months and 15 years who were referred for an oral food challenge to sesame because of suspected reactions and/or evidence of sensitization to sesame.
Children underwent skin prick tests with sesame extract and tahini, blood measurements of levels of specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) to sesame and the major sesame allergen Ses i 1, and the BAT.
The BAT was conducted by mixing whole blood with different concentrations of sesame extract and measuring levels of basophil activation markers as indicators of an allergic response.
All tests were completed on the same day or within 6 months, and the tests' diagnostic accuracy was assessed against the oral food challenge.
TAKEAWAY:
Of 95 children with conclusive results, 30 developed a reaction during an oral food challenge to sesame, and 65 tolerated it.
The BAT achieved the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.852), followed by the skin prick test to tahini (0.823), the Ses i 1-specific IgE test (0.820), and the sesame-specific IgE test (0.614). The results were similar in children aged 2 years or younger.
At defined cutoffs, the BAT was the only test to achieve 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, correctly identifying all allergic and tolerant children.
Using cutoffs with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, oral food challenges would be required in 59% of children after BAT compared with 99% after skin prick tests and 98% after sesame-specific IgE tests.
IN PRACTICE:
"Implementation of BAT and automation could transform the diagnosis of sesame seed allergy and timely intervention for allergy prevention and treatment," the authors of the study wrote.
SOURCE:
Alexandra F. Santos, MD, PhD, King's College London, London, England, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on April 26, 2026, in Allergy.
LIMITATIONS:
A small percentage of children did not complete the oral food challenge, and some blood samples could not be tested. Skin prick tests were skipped in a few cases due to supply issues.
DISCLOSURES:
The study received funding from the Medical Research Council through two fellowships awarded to the corresponding author. Several authors reported receiving research grants and salary support from government health agencies, charitable foundations, and academic institutions. Some also reported receiving honoraria, consultancy fees, or study materials from allergy diagnostics and pharmaceutical companies, and a few reported holding equity or advisory roles in related biotechnology firms.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
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