Reports indicate increasing incidence of Type I allergic reactions to latex allergens. The proteins that act as allergens and produce such allergic reactions are found in the natural latex sap of Hevea brasiliensis. All those who are exposed to latex products, particularly healthcare workers, are potentially at risk. The lack of qualified allergen extracts makes it difficult to perform skin testing on individuals who are at high risk. Therefore, a reliable in vitro test system for the detection of IgE antibodies to latex would be of considerable utility. We have developed a serological test for the qualitative determination of specific IgE antibodies to latex. In our study, 75 sera from individuals with a history of latex allergy and 29 serum samples from healthcare workers were tested by both radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The allergen bound to paper discs was the same solid phase for the RIA and EIA assays. The allergen preparation used for coating the paper discs was a mixture of proteins obtained from raw latex. The data show a good correlation between the results of RIA and EIA methods with data obtained using an RIA assay at an independent laboratory and by skin prick testing. Comparing the performance of our test using our latex material with that of the latex material obtained from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with results of other tests including skin tests, we found that the specificity and sensitivity of our assay method approaches 100%. The data show no significant cross-reactivity between latex and banana. A low level of cross-reactivity between latex and avocado was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)