Sycamore IgE

Measures IgE antibodies to sycamore (London plane) tree pollen, one of many tree pollens that can cause sneezing, congestion and itchy eyes in spring.

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called t11, t011LOINC 15285-0

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What it is

This test measures IgE antibodies to pollen from the London plane tree (Platanus acerifolia), also sold as maple leaf sycamore (ImmunoCAP t11). It is a hybrid of two plane tree species, one of them the American sycamore. These trees line many city streets and parks, and they release pollen in spring. In people who are sensitized, the pollen can cause hay fever symptoms and can make asthma worse.

Why it matters

A result above your lab's range shows your immune system has made IgE to this pollen. Whether it causes your symptoms depends on your exposure and on when your symptoms happen. Plane tree pollen shares features with other tree pollens and with grasses, so a clinician usually reads this result alongside your symptom timing and other allergy tests.

If it’s high

A level above your lab's range means your body has made more IgE to plane tree pollen. It shows sensitization, which can happen with or without symptoms. The class number describes how much IgE was found, not how bad your symptoms will be.

Common causes

Seasonal hay fever (allergic rhinitis) from tree pollen
Sensitization to plane tree pollen without any symptoms
IgE to plane tree showing up alongside IgE to other trees or grasses that share similar proteins
IgE to a plane tree pollen protein that also looks like proteins in some foods, such as peach or hazelnut

What can help

Ask your clinician about ways to lower pollen exposure, such as keeping windows closed on high-pollen days and showering after time outdoors
Check local pollen reports to see when plane tree pollen is in season where you live
Ask whether testing other tree or grass pollens, or seeing an allergist, would help sort out which pollens matter for you
Ask your clinician about options for hay fever, including allergy immunotherapy

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, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Adults (this one applies)0–0.09 kU/L
Sources: ARUP Laboratories, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

ImmunoCAP IgE classes (ARUP Laboratories)

Class 0: no significant level foundbelow 0.1 kU/L
Class 0/1: clinical relevance undetermined0.1 to under 0.35 kU/L
Class 1: low0.35 to under 0.71 kU/L
Class 2: moderate0.71 to under 3.51 kU/L
Class 3: high3.51 to under 17.51 kU/L
Class 4: very high17.51 to under 50.01 kU/L
Class 5: very high50.01 to under 100.01 kU/L
Class 6: very high100.01 and above kU/L

What can affect your result

Where you live: plane trees are common street trees in many cities, and pollen timing depends on the region
Overlap with other pollens: tree and grass seasons can overlap, so symptoms may not point to one pollen
Sensitization to other trees or grasses, which often appears alongside plane tree
The lab and test brand, because results from different systems are not directly comparable
Where a lab draws its cutoff (0.10 or 0.35 kU/L)
Different labs and test brands give different numbers for the same blood sample, so compare results from the same lab and system.
Some labs reject hemolyzed, icteric or lipemic samples (ARUP).

Slow. It usually shifts over months to years, not weeks.

When to talk to a clinician

Talk with a clinician soon if wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath come with your pollen symptoms. Call 911 or your local emergency number for severe trouble breathing. For hay fever that stays hard to control, bring this result to your next visit.

Questions you could ask

How should I read this result together with my other allergy tests?
Do my symptoms line up with when plane trees and other trees pollinate where I live?
Would testing other tree or grass pollens help?
What are my options for managing hay fever?

Questions people ask

I tested positive to sycamore, birch and oak. Am I allergic to all of them?

Not necessarily. Tree pollens share similar proteins, so IgE made against one tree can show up alongside IgE to others. Your clinician looks at which results fit your symptoms, such as when they start in the spring.

Is the sycamore test the same as a London plane test?

In allergy testing, the sycamore test (t11) is made from London plane tree pollen. Labs and trees go by several names, including maple leaf sycamore and American sycamore, so the name on your report may differ.

When is plane tree pollen season?

It depends on where you live. Pollen release starts in spring and can last up to about 20 to 40 days. Check local pollen reports for your area.

Show the science and sources

For clinicians and researchers

Quantitative IgE to an extract of London plane pollen (Platanus acerifolia, also called Platanus hybrida; ImmunoCAP t11). ARUP lists it as Allergen, Tree, Sycamore Tree and reports it in kU/L with its LOINC code 15285-0 (London Plane). Reported as allergen-specific IgE by ImmunoCAP fluoroenzyme immunoassay in kUA/L, with calibrators traceable to the WHO IgE reference (IRP 75/502 or the 3rd International Standard 11/234). The FDA-reviewed system has a limit of quantitation of 0.1 kUA/L and reports up to 100 kUA/L; its maker recommends a 0.35 kUA/L cutoff and tells each lab to set its own range (FDA review K173726). The plane tree is a hybrid of P. orientalis and P. occidentalis, and the genus has about 10 allergenic, highly cross-reactive species (Thermo Fisher). Thermo Fisher lists three pollen allergens: Pla a 1 (a putative invertase inhibitor, 18 kDa; recognized by 87% of 30 sera from Platanus-allergic patients in one study), Pla a 2 (polygalacturonase, 43 kDa) and Pla a 3 (a nonspecific lipid transfer protein, 10 kDa). It also lists Pla a 1 (t241) as a related ImmunoCAP test. Cross-reactivity has been reported with other tree pollens (chestnut, oak, hornbeam, hazel, alder, birch) and with grasses. Pla a 3 is reported to cross-react with hazelnut, banana, celery and peanut, and its sequence is 58.3% similar to the peach lipid transfer protein (Pru p 3). A positive result shows sensitization, not clinical allergy; ARUP notes that results may not correlate with the degree of clinical response or skin testing and that a negative test may not rule out clinical allergy.

LOINC 15285-0 (primary), 6263-8, 112101-1. Specimen: serum.

Sources

Allergen, Tree, Sycamore Tree (ARUP test 0055090), ARUP Laboratories
t11 Maple leaf sycamore, London plane Pollen (Allergen Encyclopedia), Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia)
ImmunoCAP Specific IgE (allergen component f447) 510(k) decision memorandum K173726, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Eastern Sycamore, IgE, Serum (test ID ESYC), Mayo Clinic Laboratories
Sycamore, Maple Leaf (test 602948), Labcorp
Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States: Report of the NIAID-Sponsored Expert Panel, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2010)

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. How we build and check these pages.