In vitro diagnosis of delayed-type drug hypersensitivity: mechanistic aspects and unmet needs.

Several laboratories use the lymphocyte transformation test for the diagnosis of delayed-type drug hypersensitivity reactions. Recently, the availability of multiple readouts has improved our ability to diagnose reactions. It is important to note that most published studies characterizing the usefulness of diagnostic tests utilize blood samples from well-defined test and control patient groups. The purpose of this article is to briefly summarize the cellular and chemical basis of delayed-type drug hypersensitivity reactions and to review in vitro assays that are available for drug hypersensitivity diagnosis.