Brome Grass (G11) IgE Biomarker Testing
It measures IgE antibodies to brome grass pollen to support allergy evaluation and treatment decisions, with easy ordering through Vitals Vault/Quest.
With Vitals Vault, you have access to a comprehensive range of biomarker tests.
Brome Grass (G11) IgE is a blood test that looks for immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies your immune system has made against brome grass pollen. It is one way to check whether you are sensitized to this specific grass allergen.
A positive result can help explain seasonal symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, congestion, or asthma flares that line up with grass pollen exposure. However, a positive IgE does not automatically mean brome grass is the cause of your symptoms, because sensitization can exist without noticeable reactions.
This test is most useful when you interpret it alongside your symptom pattern, local pollen seasons, and other allergy testing. It can also help guide practical next steps such as targeted avoidance, medication planning for pollen season, or considering allergen immunotherapy with a clinician.
Do I need a Brome Grass G11 IgE test?
You may want a Brome Grass (G11) IgE test if your symptoms reliably worsen during grass pollen season or after outdoor exposure. Common patterns include sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, post-nasal drip, itchy/watery eyes, cough, wheeze, or shortness of breath that is worse in spring and summer in many regions.
This test can also be helpful if you have asthma or eczema and you suspect outdoor allergens are a trigger, or if you are trying to sort out whether your “seasonal colds” are actually allergic rhinitis. If you are already known to have grass pollen allergy, testing a specific grass like brome can add detail when you are deciding whether immunotherapy (allergy shots or tablets) is appropriate and which allergens should be included.
You might not need this single-allergen test if your symptoms are year-round (which can point more toward dust mite, pet dander, or mold), or if you have never had allergy-type symptoms. In those cases, a broader aeroallergen panel is often a better first step.
Testing supports clinician-directed care, but it cannot diagnose allergy on its own. Your result is most meaningful when it matches your real-world symptoms and exposure history.
This is a CLIA laboratory allergen-specific IgE blood test; results should be interpreted with your symptoms and are not a standalone diagnosis.
Lab testing
Order Brome Grass (G11) IgE through Vitals Vault
About 1 week
Schedule online — results typically within a week
Clear next steps
Guidance included, with follow-up care available
HSA / FSA
Eligible for pre-tax health spending accounts
Get this test with Vitals Vault
Vitals Vault lets you order allergen-specific IgE testing without needing to schedule a separate doctor visit first. You can choose a focused test like Brome Grass (G11) IgE when you have a clear seasonal pattern, or you can start with broader allergy coverage if you are not sure what is driving your symptoms.
After your lab draw, you get a clear result you can track over time. If you want help making sense of a positive IgE that does not “fit” your symptoms, or you have questions about cross-reactivity among grasses, PocketMD can help you put the number into context and plan what to do next.
If your symptoms are persistent or severe, you can use your results to have a more efficient conversation with an allergy clinician about environmental controls, medication timing for pollen season, or whether immunotherapy is worth considering.
- Order online and complete your blood draw through the Quest network
- Results you can save and trend over time in one place
- PocketMD support for symptom- and season-based interpretation
Key benefits of Brome Grass G11 IgE testing
- Helps confirm whether your immune system is sensitized to brome grass pollen.
- Supports separating seasonal allergy patterns from infections or non-allergic rhinitis.
- Adds specificity when you are comparing multiple grass allergens on a broader IgE workup.
- Can guide timing and intensity of prevention (medications, exposure reduction) during pollen season.
- Provides objective data to discuss immunotherapy options with an allergy clinician.
- Helps explain asthma or cough flares that track with outdoor exposure and grass pollen counts.
- Gives a baseline you can retest and trend when symptoms change or after treatment.
What is Brome Grass (G11) IgE?
Brome grass (often referring to species in the Bromus genus) is a grass pollen source that can trigger seasonal allergic rhinitis and asthma in sensitized people. The Brome Grass (G11) IgE test measures the amount of IgE antibodies in your blood that bind to brome grass pollen proteins.
IgE is the antibody class involved in immediate-type allergic reactions. If you are sensitized, your immune system has learned to recognize that allergen and can release histamine and other mediators when you inhale pollen. That can lead to symptoms such as sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, and in some people, wheezing.
A key point is that the test measures sensitization, not symptom severity. Some people have measurable IgE but minimal symptoms, while others have significant symptoms with modest IgE levels. That is why your seasonality, exposure, and response to allergy medications matter when interpreting the result.
Sensitization vs. clinical allergy
A positive brome grass IgE means your immune system recognizes the allergen, but it does not prove that brome grass is the cause of your symptoms. Clinical allergy is when exposure reliably triggers symptoms. If your result is positive but you feel fine during grass pollen season, the finding may be incidental or reflect cross-reactivity with other grasses.
How this relates to skin testing
Allergen-specific IgE blood tests and skin prick tests often agree, but they are not identical. Skin testing reflects mast-cell reactivity in the skin, while blood IgE reflects circulating antibodies. Either can be useful, and your clinician may choose one based on medications you take, skin conditions, or access.
Cross-reactivity among grasses
Grass pollens share similar proteins, so IgE to one grass can sometimes track with IgE to others. A positive brome grass result may occur alongside other grass positives, especially if you are broadly grass-sensitized. Your symptom timing and local pollen mix help determine which positives are most relevant.
What do my Brome Grass G11 IgE results mean?
Low or negative Brome Grass (G11) IgE
A low or negative result means the test did not find meaningful IgE sensitization to brome grass. If you still have strong seasonal symptoms, you may be reacting to other grasses, trees, weeds, molds, or indoor allergens, or you may have non-allergic rhinitis. Timing matters too: if your symptoms peak outside typical grass season in your area, a different allergen is more likely. A clinician may suggest broader aeroallergen testing or targeted testing based on your exposure history.
In-range results (what “normal” usually means here)
For allergen-specific IgE, “normal” generally means negative or below the lab’s positivity cutoff. That is reassuring for brome grass specifically, but it does not rule out allergies overall. If your symptoms are mild and intermittent, a negative result can support focusing on general measures like saline rinses, trigger tracking, and as-needed medications. If symptoms are persistent, pairing this with other allergen tests can prevent false reassurance.
High or positive Brome Grass (G11) IgE
A positive result suggests sensitization to brome grass pollen, and the likelihood of clinical allergy increases when the result matches your symptom pattern and season. Many labs also report IgE in “classes” (for example, Class 1–6), which are rough groupings of concentration, but higher numbers do not always equal worse symptoms. If you have multiple grass positives, the practical takeaway is often that you are grass-sensitized overall, and management may focus on grass pollen season rather than a single species. If you have asthma, a positive result can be a prompt to review your action plan before peak pollen periods.
Factors that influence Brome Grass (G11) IgE
Your result can be influenced by cross-reactivity with other grass pollens, especially if you are broadly sensitized. Age, atopic conditions (like eczema or asthma), and overall IgE “load” can also affect how likely you are to have multiple positives. Recent exposure does not usually cause big short-term swings in specific IgE, but results can change over months to years, including after immunotherapy. Medications like antihistamines typically do not suppress blood IgE results (unlike some effects on skin testing), but your clinician will interpret results in the context of your full history.
What’s included
- Brome Grass (G11) Ige
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Brome Grass (G11) IgE test measure?
It measures allergen-specific IgE antibodies in your blood that bind to brome grass pollen. This indicates sensitization, which may or may not translate into symptoms when you are exposed.
Do I need to fast before a brome grass IgE blood test?
Fasting is not typically required for allergen-specific IgE testing. If you are combining this with other labs that do require fasting, follow the instructions for the full order.
Can I have a positive IgE to brome grass and no symptoms?
Yes. Sensitization without noticeable symptoms is common, especially when you have other atopic conditions or multiple pollen sensitizations. The result becomes more clinically meaningful when it matches your symptom timing and exposure.
Is this the same as a skin prick test for grass allergy?
No. Skin testing measures a local skin reaction, while this blood test measures circulating IgE antibodies. They often correlate, but either can be positive when the other is negative, so clinicians choose based on your situation and medications.
What is a “Class” result on allergen-specific IgE reports?
Some labs convert the IgE concentration into a class (often 0–6) to group results by level. Classes can help summarize the number, but they do not perfectly predict symptom severity, so your history still matters.
If my brome grass IgE is positive, does that mean I should get allergy shots?
Not automatically. Immunotherapy is usually considered when you have consistent symptoms that are not well controlled with avoidance and medications, and when testing aligns with those symptoms. An allergy clinician can help decide whether grass immunotherapy is appropriate and which allergens should be included.
Should I order a broader allergy panel instead of just brome grass?
If you are not sure what triggers your symptoms, a broader aeroallergen IgE panel is often more efficient than single-allergen testing. A single test like brome grass is most useful when your symptoms clearly track with grass pollen season or you are refining an existing allergy workup.