engleski

Sensitivity of CAST assay in confirmation of drug allergy

Drug allergies are a group of symptoms occurs when the immune system recognize a drug as a foreign substance and tries to protect organism from it. They affect 5-10% of the population. Clinical symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions to drugs range from a mild localized rash to serious effects on vital organs. Drug allergies are fairly uncommon and identificatioon of the causative factors is not possible in all cases. The diagnosis of such hypersensitivity is based on clinical history, some skin tests, cellular tests, determination of total and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and other. In an attempt to find sensitive, specific, and cost-effective methods to detect hypersensitivity reactions, in vitro tests were developed. The cellular antigen stimulation test (CAST) analyze the mediator released from effector cells, mainly peripheral blood cells, when stimulated in vitro with allergens. The purpose of the present study was to determine the diagnostic sensitivity of CAST assay in detection of hypersensitivity reactions to drugs. Sixty patients at the age from 4 to 66 years with a history of hypersensitivity reactions to antibiotics (penicillin V, penicillin G, benzylpenicillin, amoxillin, ampicillin, cephalosporin C, cefuroxime, sulfamethoxazole and trimetoprim)and analgesics (lys-aspirin, diclofenac and acetominophen) were included in study. Our results indicate that 73% (16/22) of patients had positive CAST test to antibiotics. a positive CAST test to analgesics was found in 36% (4/!!) of patients while 48% (13/27) of patients were positive to both antibiotics and analgesics. On the basis of these results we can see that CAST test used in confirmation of the clinical manifestation of drugs allery is more sensitive in dewtection allergy to antibiotics than to analgesics.

CAST-ELISA; allergens; drugs

nije evidentirano