The Role of Basophil Activation Test in Drug Allergy

AbstractBackgroundBasophil activation test (BAT) is a reliable in vitro test, useful to evaluate immediate drug hypersensitivity reactions (IDHRs). Nevertheless, the immunological mechanisms involved in the basophil degranulation are still not completely understood. This and the lack of standardisation hamper the BAT inclusion in clinical routine. This review tries to summarise the different diagnostic values of BAT according to the drugs involved, focusing on the most frequent drug families. Moreover, different technical aspects that could help improve BAT sensitivity have been analysed.Recent findingsIn the last years, new potential applications of BAT apart from its direct use in the diagnosis of IDHRs have been proposed. Some of them are the assessment of IgE-mediated mechanism, the study of cross-reactivity between drugs with similar chemical structures to find safe alternatives, or its use as a monitorisation tool in desensitisation procedures.SummaryThe use of BAT in the diagnosis of IDHRs has been widely investigated for some drug families with promising results. Nevertheless, there are some factors that should be carefully considered to improve BAT sensitivity. Finally, new approaches in which BAT provides a wide range of possibilities have been proposed.
Source: Current Treatment Options in Allergy - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research