Sorted By Test Name - Mayo Medical Laboratories

CARO
8288
CROT
82742
sensitization to particular allergens prior to beginning immunotherapy, and to investigate the specificity of
allergic reactions to insect venom allergens, drugs, or chemical allergens.
Interpretation: Detection of IgE antibodies in serum (Class 1 or greater) indicates an increased
likelihood of allergic disease as opposed to other etiologies and defines the allergens that may be
responsible for eliciting signs and symptoms. The level of IgE antibodies in serum varies directly with the
concentration of IgE antibodies expressed as a class score or kU/L.
Reference Values:
Class IgE kU/L Interpretation
0 Negative
1 0.35-0.69 Equivocal
2 0.70-3.49 Positive
3 3.50-17.4 Positive
4 17.5-49.9 Strongly positive
5 50.0-99.9 Strongly positive
6 > or =100 Strongly positive Reference values
apply to all ages.
Clinical References: Homburger HA: Allergic diseases. In Clinical Diagnosis and Management by
Laboratory Methods. 21st edition. Edited by RA McPherson, MR Pincus. New York, WB Saunders
Company, 2007, Chapter 53, Part VI, pp 961-971
Carotene, Serum
Clinical Information: Carotenes are provitamins, or precursors of vitamin A. They produce the
orange color observed in carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and many other fruits and vegetables. Both
elevated and deficient levels of carotene can have clinical consequences for patients. The highest levels of
carotene can be found in the serum of individuals ingesting large amounts of vegetables, primarily carrots.
These people may have a slight yellowish tinge of the skin, but the sclera of the eye is not discolored.
More moderate elevations can be observed in patients with diabetes mellitus, myxedema, hyperlipidemia,
or chronic nephritis. Decreased serum levels may be seen in individuals with nutritional deficiencies
including anorexia nervosa, malabsorption, and steatorrhea. Lycopenemia, in which a patient has a
yellow-orange pigmentation of the skin, is a very rare condition resulting from excessive consumption of
lycopene-containing fruits and berries. Individuals with lycopenemia have normal carotene levels.
Useful For: Detection of a nutritional deficiency of carotene or lipid malabsorption Detection of
excessive ingestion of carotene Investigation of lycopenemia
Interpretation: Normal: 48 mcg/dL to 200 mcg/dL High: >400 mcg/dL Moderately high: >300
mcg/dL Low (malabsorption): 20 mcg/dL
Reference Values:
48-200 mcg/dL
Clinical References: 1. Maharshak N, Shapiro J, Trau H: Carotenoderma - a review of the current
literature. Int J Dermatol 2003;42(3):178-181 2. Karthik SV, Campbell-Davidson D, Isherwood D:
Carotenemia in infancy and its association with prevalent feeding practices. Pediatr Dermatol
2006;23(6):571-573
Carrot, IgE
Clinical Information: Clinical manifestations of immediate hypersensitivity (allergic) diseases are
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