Indirect Basophil Degranulation Test in Penicillin Allergy

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Abstract
The indirect basophil degranulation test is an efficient and simple means for detecting penicillin hypersensitivity and is easily adaptable to laboratory use. The major problems are variability among the individual serum controls and difficulty in interpreting the penicillin-serum test results in patients with borderline serum controls. These problems are obviated by using the simultaneous serum control and penicillinserum test technique to determine the T-SC value, which is obtained by subtracting the number of altered basophils seen in the serum control from the number seen in the penicillin-serum test after counting 20 basophils. With the T-SC value, only 5% of the control group had a value of six or more, whereas 50% of the penicillinreactor group had this value. This technique is also a simple means for observing changes in the basophil, which are for the most part subtle alterations in cytology rather than explosive degranulation.