Lymphocyte transformation test: History and current approaches

Journal of Immunological Methods, vol. 493, pp. 113036

Abstract

Drug-induced hypersensitivity reactions encompass a variety of different clinical phenotypes ranging from harmless rashes to fatal reactions. They can be classified into allergic (i.e. drug allergy) and non-allergic reactions (i.e. non-allergic hypersensitivity). Drug allergies in turn can either be antibody (e.g. IgE) or T cell-mediated. One of the diagnostic tools for the in vitro detection of drug allergy is the lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) which is based on the activation and expansion of the drug-specific memory T cells following co-incubation of the patient's peripheral mononuclear cells (PMBC) with the suspected drug in vitro. The read-out parameter in the classical LTT is T cell proliferation which can be measured as counts per minute following the addition of radiolabeled thymidine to the cell culture. However, in the course of time different modifications of the classical LTT with regard to the read-out parameters and methods have been proposed. Likewise, variations of the LTT platform itself have been described in the literature. This review article describes the development of the classical LTT and its use in the context of drug allergy detection and summarizes the modifications which have been published over time.

Authors 4

1. Bernhardt Sachs corresponding Aachen Department for Dermatology and Allergology

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices

   Affiliation as printed

   Research Division, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Bonn, Germany; Department for Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: Bernhardt.Sachs@bfarm.de

   Department for Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital Aachen, Germany

   Research Division, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Bonn, Germany

2. Amol Fatangare

   Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences - ISAS

   Affiliation as printed

   Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften-ISAS-e.V., Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Straße 11, 44139 Dortmund, Germany

3. Albert Sickmann

   Ruhr University Bochum · University of Aberdeen · Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences - ISAS

   Affiliation as printed

   Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften-ISAS-e.V., Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Straße 11, 44139 Dortmund, Germany; Medizinische Fakultät, Medizinisches Proteom-Center (MPC), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany; Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB243FX, UK

   Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB243FX, UK

   Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften-ISAS-e.V., Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Straße 11, 44139 Dortmund, Germany

   Medizinische Fakultät, Medizinisches Proteom-Center (MPC), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany

4. A Glässner

   Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices

   Affiliation as printed

   Research Division, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Bonn, Germany