[The NBT test--a review].

The NBT-test is a technique particularly used in its stimulated variant for testing granulocyte metabolism and in this capacity it is an integrated part of the test programme for differentiating neutrophilic dysfunctions. Its sphere of application is the diagnosis of progressive septic granulomatosis. The variety of the methods used makes it difficult to compare the results described by the various authors. Therefore, standardization is urgently necessary. A differentiation of bacterial and non-bacterial infections as well as of other febrile diseases is not possible with the unstimulated test. Investigations of the longitudinal section, however, allow the activity of the disease to be evaluated (with initially high numbers of granulocytes being positive in the nitroblue tetrazolium test).