Milford chronicle., 1963-05-17
N ew Test Reported
For P enieiIlin AIiersy

a1lergtc to penici11in and other
drugs was reported today by
DR.. Walter B. Shelley, q Phila.
dermatologist.
Under the new procedure, the
test for a reaction Is carried
out in the laboratory instead u
the patient, he said. Only a drop
Of blood from the patients
fingertip Is needed for analysis
under a microscope, he said.
Probably the most common
means Of testing for penicil1in
sensitivity today is to inject q
small amount Of the drug inte
the PATIENTS skin, DR.. Shelley
said In the current april 2o)
Journal Of the American Medical
Association. However, even This
small amount Of peniciIliR caM
be hazardous for some patients
and the test itself has caused
occasional fatalities, he said.
Nevertheless, he said, there
is a real need for such a test.
The question Of penicillin sensi-
tivity arises In about 10 per cent
OF patients seen In practice, he
said, and reactions to the drug
can range from ga mild itch to
death within seconds"
Although a PATIENTS past ex-
perience with penicillin Is help
ful, DR.. Shelley said, this In
formation can be misleading.
Some patients may attribute
symptoms enormously to psni-
ctllin while others may become
strongly sensitizsd without any
apparent symptoms.
The blood test for penicillin
sensitivity grew out OF a better
understanding Of the allsrgic re-
action, DR.. Shelley said.
Studies have shown that When
a person is challenged with q
substance to which he Is
two types Of cells, the
basophils In the blood and the
mast cells in the skin, RELEASE
histamine and disintegrats In the
he said. It is the re-
lease Of histamine that aswsars
to be primarily involved In de-
velopment OF allergic symptoms,
be said.
When the patients drep OF
blood is mixed with a solution
of penicillin under the micro
scope, he said, the basobhils
can be observed. II a certain
percentage Of the basophils dis
Integrate, he said, 1t indicates
that the patient is allsrgic. In
evere reactions, all the
b oasophils may disintsgrste
slowly or explosively although
his Is rare, he said.
II the test shows q negative
response, DR.. Shelley said, 1t
indicates the absence Of anti
,odies resistant to penici1lin on
he day Of the test and that q
will not be triggsred
~ any penicil1in given on that
lay.
Six different techniquas for
the basophil test
lave been devised, including ons
suitable for office use, he said.
The tests have been studied
IN 275 persons with a history OF
e action following penicillin
herapy and, for comparison
purposes, In persons who did
lot react to penicillin, he said.
n only three patients was peni-
:illin given when the basophil
est was positive, he said, and
n all three allergic reactions
"It remains for future expert
nee to more precisely dslinsata
he validity Of the test" he
aid.
The basophil test alse has
'een used to defeat al1ergy to
ther drugs and to horss sersn.
ork, and egg which are used
q certain vaccines and biolegt-
ais, he said.
Preliminary data show that ga
ntihistamine, ch1orphsnirs
nine, Is without effect On thu
e1ease Of histamiHe by the al
srgic process, he said. At tho
ams time, he said It has sesm
ound that prednisslons, q ssTtt-
ons-liks drug, acts directly on
Ne cell to prevent the release
histamine.
Future studies In this area
hould prove Hffraitful, !" he said.