Yellow Jacket Venom (Vespula) IgE

Measures IgE antibodies to yellow jacket (Vespula) venom, which helps clinicians work out whether a sting reaction may be linked to yellow jackets.

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called i3, i003, YJVLOINC 6740-5

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What it is

This test measures IgE antibodies to the venom of yellow jackets, which are called common wasps in Europe (Vespula species, ImmunoCAP i3). Yellow jackets can sting more than once, and in some people the venom causes reactions that go beyond the sting site. Having IgE to the venom (sensitization) is common, and many people with it never have a serious reaction. Wasp, hornet and honey bee venoms share some features, so people can have IgE to more than one.

Why it matters

After a sting reaction, this test helps an allergist work out which insect was involved. That matters because venom immunotherapy, described by European guidelines as the only treatment that prevents further body-wide sting reactions, is chosen by venom type. A raised result alone does not show how you would react to a future sting, so it is read with your sting history and, often, component tests and a baseline tryptase level.

If it’s high

A level above your lab's range means your body has made more IgE to yellow jacket venom. It shows sensitization to the venom. By itself it does not predict how you would react to a sting, and a higher number does not reliably mean a stronger reaction.

Common causes

Allergy to yellow jacket or wasp stings, including a past reaction
Past stings without any serious reaction, since even stings you tolerated can raise IgE to venom
IgE to yellow jacket venom appearing alongside IgE to bee, paper wasp or hornet venom because the venoms share similar features
IgE to sugar groups that venom proteins share with many plants and animals, which can show up as a positive result without a true allergy
A high total IgE, which makes unimportant sensitization more likely

What can help

Ask your clinician whether you should see an allergist, especially if a sting ever caused hives away from the sting site, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing or dizziness
Ask whether component tests (Ves v 1 and Ves v 5) or bee and paper wasp tests would help sort out cross-reactivity
Ask whether a baseline tryptase level should be checked
Ask about having a written plan for what to do after a sting

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, Labcorp, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Adults (this one applies)0–0.09 kU/L
Sources: ARUP Laboratories, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Labcorp, 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

Labcorp Hymenoptera venom report classes

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 100.01 kU/L
Class VI: very high100.01 and above kU/L

What can affect your result

Timing after a sting: results can come back negative in the first weeks, so a negative test soon after a reaction is repeated at least 4 to 6 weeks after the sting
Cross-reactivity: wasp, hornet and bee venoms share similar proteins and sugar groups, so double positives are common
Earlier stings, including ones you tolerated, which can raise IgE to venom
Baseline tryptase: a higher level is linked to more severe sting reactions, so clinicians often check it as well
A high total IgE, which makes unimportant sensitization more likely
The lab and test brand, because results from different systems are not directly comparable
Testing in the first weeks after a sting reaction can come back negative; the German DGAKI guideline says a negative result obtained less than 2 weeks after the sting should be repeated at least 4 to 6 weeks after the sting.
Wasp, hornet and bee venoms share similar proteins and sugar groups (cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants), so IgE to one can show up with the others.
A high total IgE makes clinically unimportant venom sensitization more likely (DGAKI).
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. Levels can rise in the days to weeks after a sting, then change gradually over months to years.

When to talk to a clinician

Call 911 or your local emergency number right away if, after a sting, you have trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, dizziness or fainting, repeated vomiting, or hives that spread beyond the sting site. If you have ever had a body-wide reaction to a sting, talk with a clinician about seeing an allergist, even if this result is in the usual range.

Questions you could ask

Should my tryptase level be checked?
How often, if at all, should we recheck this?
Do my results fit with the insect that stung me?
Would component tests (Ves v 1 and Ves v 5) or bee and paper wasp tests help clarify this?
Should I see an allergist about stings, and should I have a plan for future stings?
My result is in the usual range but I had a reaction to a sting. Should it be repeated later?

Questions people ask

I tested positive to both yellow jacket and bee venom. Am I allergic to both?

Not necessarily. Wasp and bee venoms share similar proteins and sugar groups, so IgE to one can show up with the other. In studies, about 40 to 50% of venom-allergic people test positive to both. Tests for individual venom proteins can help tell real double sensitization from cross-reactivity. Your allergist uses these results together with your sting history.

Can this test be negative even if I had a reaction to a sting?

Yes. Soon after a reaction, in the first couple of weeks, the result can come back negative, so guidelines advise repeating the test at least 4 to 6 weeks after the sting. A single negative result also does not fully rule out an allergy, so tell your clinician about any reaction.

Does a higher number mean a worse reaction next time?

Not reliably. A German guideline found no link between how high the IgE was at diagnosis and how severe earlier reactions had been. Your allergist looks at your history of reactions, other test results and other factors, such as your baseline tryptase.

Show the science and sources

For clinicians and researchers

Quantitative IgE to whole Vespula venom (ImmunoCAP i3; Thermo Fisher's display name is common wasp, yellow jacket, with Vespula vulgaris as the species). ARUP reports it in kU/L with LOINC 6740-5; Labcorp lists it as I003-IgE Yellow Jacket on its Hymenoptera venom report. 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). Six Vespula allergens have been characterized, and two are available for routine component testing: Ves v 1 (phospholipase A1B, ImmunoCAP i211; sensitization in 33 to 66% of wasp-allergic patients) and Ves v 5 (antigen 5, i209; 82 to 98%). Both are marker allergens for genuine Vespula sensitization (Thermo Fisher), and the German guideline counts IgE to Ves v 1 or Ves v 5 as primary sensitization to Vespula venom (DGAKI 2023). Ves v 5 shows significant cross-reactivity with the paper wasp antigen 5, Pol d 5 (Labcorp sample report), and no marker separates Vespula from Polistes (paper wasp) or hornet sensitization (Thermo Fisher). Double positivity to bee and wasp venom is seen in 40 to 50% of venom-allergic patients and can reflect true co-sensitization, IgE to cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants, or homologous proteins; marker components and CCD testing help separate these (Thermo Fisher, DGAKI 2023). The DGAKI guideline advises repeating a negative result obtained less than 2 weeks after a sting at least 4 to 6 weeks after it, notes that even tolerated stings can induce venom IgE, that venom sensitization is common (above 40%) in people without a relevant reaction, that people with a high total IgE are more prone to clinically irrelevant sensitization, and that there is no correlation between the degree of sensitization at diagnosis and the severity of earlier anaphylactic reactions. It also recommends a baseline serum tryptase for anyone whose sting reaction went beyond the skin, and names an elevated baseline tryptase (95th percentile 11.4 µg/L) as the greatest risk factor for a severe sting reaction. EAACI reports systemic sting reactions in up to 7.5% of adults and up to 3.4% of children, and describes venom immunotherapy as the only treatment that prevents further systemic sting reactions. Labcorp prints its own class table on its Hymenoptera venom reports (second band set).

LOINC 6740-5 (primary), 112170-6. Specimen: serum.

Sources

Allergen, Insects and Venom, Yellow Jacket Venom (ARUP test 0055139), ARUP Laboratories
Stinging Insect Venom Allergen Component Testing and Hymenoptera Venom Allergy Profile sample report (I003-IgE Yellow Jacket, Tryptase), Labcorp
i3 Common wasp (Yellow jacket) (Allergen Encyclopedia), Thermo Fisher Scientific (Phadia)
Diagnosis and treatment of Hymenoptera venom allergy: S2k Guideline of the German Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI), Allergologie Select (2023)
EAACI guidelines on allergen immunotherapy: Hymenoptera venom allergy, Allergy (2018)
ImmunoCAP Specific IgE (allergen component f447) 510(k) decision memorandum K173726, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Yellow Jacket Venom, IgE, Serum (test ID YJV), Mayo Clinic Laboratories
Yellow Jacket (test 602889), 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.