Measurement of Delayed Skin-Test Responses

Measurement of delayed skin-test responses is a basic clinical procedure, originally used for identification of infection with microbial agents. More recently, skin testing with a battery of antigens has had wide application in the evaluation of cellular immune reactivity of patients with malignant neoplasms. Such measurements may provide important prognostic information.1 , 2 It is generally assumed that every physician knows when and how to read a skin test, and this subject has received little investigative or teaching attention in recent years. Unfortunately, the utility of this simple and universally available method of immunologic examination is compromised by substantial variation in measurements . . .