[Cellular immunology tests applied to the diagnosis of immune system dysfunctions]

In clinical immunology, improved standardisation and simplification have made skin and laboratory tests more amenable both to routine use and more rigorous interpretation. An individual's immune status can be assessed by the in vivo investigation of delayed hypersensitivity to widely distributed antigens or by techniques such as the mitogen test ot lymphoblast transformation, lymphocyte population and sub-population (e.g. T4, T8...) counts. A more delicate test of phagocytosis is provided by the chemoluminescence test. Investigation of allergic states (immediate hypersensitivity) relies on skin tests and also on laboratory techniques such as the basophil degranulation test.