Bermuda Grass IgE
Measures IgE antibodies to Bermuda grass pollen to show whether your immune system has become sensitized to this warm-climate grass.
AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called g2, G002LOINC 6041-8
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What it is
This test measures IgE, the antibody type involved in allergic reactions, against Bermuda grass pollen (ImmunoCAP g2). Bermuda grass is a turfgrass that thrives in warm regions around the world, and its pollen season usually runs from about May to September. Results come in kilounits per liter (kU/L), and many labs also print a class from 0 to 6.
Why it matters
Grass pollen is a common trigger of hay fever, with sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose and itchy eyes, and it can bring on asthma symptoms in people who are sensitive to it. A result helps show whether Bermuda grass may be part of your symptoms, especially if they flare in warm months. Many people have antibodies to grass pollen without symptoms, so your history matters as much as the number.
If it’s high
A level above the 'none detected' range means the lab found IgE antibodies to Bermuda grass pollen. This is called sensitization. It is not the same as an allergy, but it can fit with hay fever symptoms during grass season. Higher numbers mean more antibody, not necessarily stronger symptoms. Your clinician can put the result in context.
Common causes
- Sensitization to grass pollen with no symptoms
- Seasonal hay fever or allergic asthma triggered by grass pollen
- IgE that cross-reacts with other grasses, such as Timothy grass
- IgE to sugar chains on plant proteins (called CCD), which can give a positive test with little effect in real life
What can help
- Talk with a clinician or an allergist about whether your symptoms follow grass season
- Ask whether a Bermuda grass component test (Cyn d 1) or tests for other grasses would add clarity
- Ask about ways to reduce pollen exposure, such as keeping windows closed on high-pollen days and showering after time outdoors
Usual ranges
What labs print as the reference range, by who was tested. Ranges differ a little between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against.
For adults: 0–0.09 kU/L. Source: ARUP Laboratories, Labcorp, Children's Minnesota Laboratory, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia), American Academy of Pediatrics (Pediatrics).
- Adults (this one applies)0–0.09 kU/L
Sources: ARUP Laboratories, Labcorp, Children's Minnesota Laboratory, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia), American Academy of Pediatrics (Pediatrics)
ImmunoCAP IgE classes (ARUP, Iowa, Children's Minnesota and CUHK; labs differ on which class an exact edge value falls in)
- Class 0: no significant level detectedbelow 0.1 kU/L
- Class 0/1: clinical relevance undetermined0.1 to under 0.35 kU/L
- Class 1: low0.35 to under 0.7 kU/L
- Class 2: moderate0.7 to under 3.5 kU/L
- Class 3: high3.5 to under 17.5 kU/L
- Class 4: very high17.5 to under 50 kU/L
- Class 5: very high50 to under 100 kU/L
- Class 6: very high100 and above kU/L
Labcorp class scale (cutoffs differ from the ImmunoCAP scale above; exactly 100.00 is class V)
- Class 0: negativebelow 0.1 kU/L
- Class 0/I: equivocal or low0.1 to under 0.32 kU/L
- Class I: low0.32 to under 0.56 kU/L
- Class II: moderate0.56 to under 1.41 kU/L
- Class III: high1.41 to under 3.91 kU/L
- Class IV: very high3.91 to under 19.01 kU/L
- Class V: very high19.01 to under 100 kU/L
- Class VI: very high100 and above kU/L
What can affect your result
- Where you live and how much grass pollen you breathe
- Related grasses, which can cause cross-reacting IgE
- Antibodies to plant sugar chains (CCD), which can add a positive result with little clinical meaning
- The lab and test brand, because results from different systems are not directly comparable
- Antibodies to plant sugar chains (CCD) can give a positive result with little clinical meaning (PLoS One 2011).
- Antihistamines generally don't interfere with blood IgE tests, unlike skin tests (AAP). MedlinePlus advises telling your provider about everything you take, since some medicines may matter for this test, so ask your clinician before changing any medicine.
- Assays from different manufacturers aren't equivalent, so compare results only from the same lab and method (AAP).
Slow. IgE levels usually shift over months to years, not weeks.
When to talk to a clinician
Get urgent medical help for severe trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat. Otherwise, talk with a clinician if hay fever is hard to control or you notice wheeze, chest tightness or shortness of breath in grass season, even if this result is in the usual range.
Questions you could ask
- Which lab method was used, and should I use the same lab for future results?
- Do my symptoms line up with grass season?
- Would testing other grasses or a Bermuda grass component help?
- Should I see an allergist about this?
- My result is in the usual range but I still have symptoms in grass season. What else could be causing them?
Questions people ask
Does this test cover other grasses?
No. It measures antibodies to Bermuda grass only. Grasses share some proteins, so people who react to one grass often react to others, such as Timothy grass, but each grass needs its own test.
What does a result of 0.10 to 0.34 mean?
It is a very low level of antibody. Labs describe it as equivocal or of undetermined clinical relevance, and ARUP says results in this range are intended for specialist use. Your clinician can tell you whether it matters for your symptoms.
What do the class numbers 0 to 6 mean?
The class groups the kU/L number from none detected (class 0) to very high (class 6). Higher classes mean more antibody and a higher chance of a reaction, but not a more severe one. Labcorp's class cutoffs differ from the ones ARUP and many hospital labs use, so compare the kU/L number rather than the class between labs.
Show the science and sources
For clinicians and researchers
Quantitative IgE to a Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) pollen extract (ImmunoCAP g2) by fluoroenzyme immunoassay; ARUP and Labcorp both use the ImmunoCAP system, which reports about 0.1 to 100 kUA/L. Results from the different FDA-cleared IgE systems are not equivalent (AAP 2012). Cyn d 1 (g216) is the major allergen, a group 1 grass allergen that Thermo Fisher describes as a marker of genuine Bermuda grass sensitization and as a CCD-bearing protein, so primary sensitization is more likely once CCD sensitization is excluded. Cyn d 1 and timothy grass Phl p 1 are cross-reactive. Profilin (Phl p 12) and polcalcin (Phl p 7) are minor, widely shared pollen allergens that can explain a positive extract. About 20% or more of people with pollen or food allergy show in-vitro CCD reactivity, which usually has low clinical relevance (PLoS One 2011). The AAP report notes that grass pollen cross-reactivity with foods such as wheat and peanut can give positive tests without clinical allergy. ARUP reports 0.10 to 0.34 kU/L as 'clinical relevance undetermined'.
LOINC 6041-8 (primary), 112132-6. Specimen: serum.
Sources
- Allergen, Grass, Bermuda (test 0055070), ARUP Laboratories
- Allergen, Region 10 Respiratory Panel IgE, Southwestern Grasslands (test 3001720), ARUP Laboratories
- Bermuda Grass (test 602464), Labcorp
- Sample report 607120, Allergens with Component Reflexes Area 20 (class description table), Labcorp
- Allergen (IgE) ImmunoCAP, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Pathology Handbook
- Allergen IgE (laboratory test information), Children's Minnesota Laboratory
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE, Allergen-Specific), Serum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital ward manual
- Your quick guide to using ImmunoCAP Specific IgE testing, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia) (2024)
- Allergy Testing in Childhood: Using Allergen-Specific IgE Tests (clinical report), American Academy of Pediatrics (Pediatrics) (2012)
- Allergy Blood Tests, MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
- ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests: Grass pollinosis (testing algorithm), Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia) (2025)
- Allergen Encyclopedia: Bermuda grass (g2), Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia)
- Reduction of cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants in plant foodstuff: elucidation of clinical relevance and implications for allergy diagnosis, PLoS ONE (2011)
AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. How we build and check these pages.