title: Diagnosing immune-mediated reactions to drugs.
abstract: Drug allergy is a type B adverse drug reaction, which is unpredictable and difficult to prevent or manage. In patients who have a previous history of drug allergy it must be confirmed by laboratorial diagnosis. However, the diagnostic test remains a major problem in clinical practice. Skin testing is validated for some drugs, such as penicillin, but not for others. Provocation test is a confirmatory test but bears the risk of severe reactions. Lymphocyte transformation test is a reliable test but is considered as a research tool. This review addresses the most recent published literature regarding the techniques which have already been developed as well as the new tests that can be promising alternatives for diagnosis of drug allergy.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Clinical Analysis and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brazil. tiemindi@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Nagao-Dias
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: H L L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Coelho
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D064907:Diagnostic Uses of Chemicals; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000276:immunology; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D060149:Tetraspanin 30; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D064907:Diagnostic Uses of Chemicals; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D015848:Interleukin-5; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D011755:Pyrophosphatases; D060149:Tetraspanin 30; D000099192:CD69 Antigens; C554586:CD63 protein, human; C427944:ENPP3 protein, human; C508599:IL5 protein, human