Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 2, March 1997

Laboratory Testing of the Patient with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Howard R. Kehrl

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Abstract
Multiple diagnostic laboratory tests are frequently used in the clinical evaluation of persons with multiple chemical sensitivity without a clear a priori hypothesis. In addition, many of these tests are performed despite a lack of understanding of the test technical performance characteristics or the clinical significance (test sensitivity and specificity). The result is a plethora of laboratory data that have little clinical relevance and that can be both misleading and misused. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 2):443-444 (1997)

Key words: immune system, laboratory tests, multiple chemical sensitivity

This paper is based on a presentation at the Conference on Experimental Approaches to Chemical Sensitivity held 20-22 September 1995 in Princeton, New Jersey. Manuscript received at EHP 6 March 1996; manuscript accepted 22 March 1996.
These comments do not reflect EPA position or policy.
Address correspondence to Dr. H.R. Kehrl, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Human Studies Division, Mail Drop 58, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Telephone: (919) 966-6208. Fax: (919) 966-6369. E-mail: kehrl.kehrl@epamail.epa.gov
Abbreviations used: MCS, multiple chemical sensitivity; VOCs, volatile organic compounds.

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Last Update: March 20, 1997