Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the body‘s own enzyme that metabolizes histamine. Although DAO is found practically in the whole body, the most important site of its action is the intestine.

The enzymatic activity of DAO determines the histamine degradation speed. In the case of DAO deficiency or inhibition, incorporated or endogenous histamine cannot be degraded quickly enough, and the symptoms of histamine intolerance are presented. Millions of people suffer from gastrointestinal problems, migraine, irritations of nasal mucosa, and other allergy-like symptoms after the consumption of certain nutrients. Too much histamine in the body can be the reason for this wide range of symptoms.

The IDK® DAO ELISA is an enzyme immunoassay intended for the quantitative determination of diamine oxidase (DAO) in serum and dried blood spots.