Patent ID: 7759133

Claim:
A method of detecting and/or quantifying an IgE antibody specific to a ligand in the form of an antigen, an antibody, or a hapten in a liquid sample suspected to contain the IgE antibody comprising the steps of: (a) contacting (i) the sample with (ii) a free dissolved ligand in the form of an antigen, an antibody, or a hapten to form a mixture I comprising complexes that comprise the IgE antibody and the ligand (IgE-containing complexes), (b) mixing the mixture I with a carrier to which is bound (iii) an IgE receptor, wherein said IgE receptor is CD23 (FcεRII), to form a mixture II comprising carrier-bound IgE-containing complexes, (c) separating the carrier-bound IgE-containing complexes from the mixture II, and (d) determining the amount of the carrier-bound IgE-containing complexes formed by detecting a label present in the carrier-bound IgE-containing complexes, wherein the label to be detected is associated with the ligand or the IgE antibody and wherein the label to be detected is added to the complexes present in steps (a), (b), or (c) and does not form part of the carrier.