T cell activation in biological diagnosis of amoxicillin delayed hypersensitivity

Background Delayed hypersensitivity to betalactam drugs is one of the most frequently suspected drug allergies. However, it is sometimes difficult to diagnose. Drug challenges are the diagnostic gold standard, but they are costly and complex to organize. In vitro testing could thus represent a valid alternative. The existence of amoxicillin-specific T cells have long been demonstrated, however few studies have compared the diagnostic performances of the different methods aiming at detecting them, and there is currently no available test validated for diagnostic purpose. In this context, we started a prospective study to establish the relevance of such in vitro tests in delayed hypersensitivity to amoxicillin.