Shifts of delayed immune response to persulphates and other allergens

Certain chemicals such as persulphates and formaldehyde are able to induce both immediate and delayed type reactions in the skin. The levels of delayed type response to persulphates (at 48 and 74 h), obtained by epicutaneous tests were subjected to comparative studies of shifts (48 versus 72 h) and statistical analysis. The 95% confidence limit of the mean value of shifts to persulphates was significantly higher than that of a standard routine battery as a whole and, with the exception of formaldehyde, also to that of other individual constituents of this battery. In the case of persulphates, this difference in shifts was due to an extremely low mean value of delayed-type response read at 48 h. The possible underlying mechanisms and the possible limiting rôle of vaso-active amines in the early evolution of delayed-type response is discussed.