[The mechanism of the development of contact sensitivity and the methods of assessing allergenicity of contact sensitizers].

Recent reports on the mechanism of the development of contact sensitivity and on the method of assessing allergenicity both in vivo and in vitro are reviewed. Various cell types and two processes, afferent and efferent limbs, involved in the contact sensitivity are discussed. Conditions for applying contact sensitizers which induce specific unresponsiveness, desensitization and antigenic competition are also discussed. Diagnostic methods for identifying contact sensitizers in vivo, patch testing, and in vitro, migration inhibition test and blastoid transformation are reported. Moreover, methods of assessing the allergenicity of contact sensitizers are reported centering on the guinea pig maximization testing.