EXAMPLES THE MOST COMMONLY USED TESTS FOR THE EVALUATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES

Note: Functional assays are generally more important than tests for soluble mediators or phenotyping.

Ref: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ost/ostggp/immunotox.html#T1

IMMUNE RESPONSES	FUNCTIONAL ASSAYS*	SOLUBLE MEDIATORS	PHENOTYPING	OTHER
HISTOPATHOLOGY	Not Applicable or Not Needed	Not Applicable or Not Needed	Cell surface markers	Morphology
HUMORAL RESPONSE	o Immunoassays (e.g. ELISA) for antibody response to antigen plus adjuvant* o Plaque-forming cells o Lymphocyte proliferation o Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity o Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis o Direct anaphylaxis	o Complement (including C3a and C5a anaphylatoxins)* o Immune complexes	Cell surface markers
CELLULAR RESPONSES
T-CELLS	o Guinea pig maximization test* o Mouse local lymph node assay* o Mouse ear swelling test o Lymphocyte proliferation o Mixed lymphocyte reaction	Cytokine patterns indicative of T cell subsets (e.g. Th1 and Th2)	Cell surface markers (helper and cytotoxic T-cells)
NATURAL KILLER CELLS	Tumor cytotoxicity	NA	Cell surface markers
MACROPHAGES	Phagocytosis* Antigen Presentation	Cytokines (IL-1, TNF-alpha, IL-6, TGF-beta)	MHC markers
GRANULOCYTES (Basophils, Eosinophils and/or Neutrophils)	Degranulation Phagocytosis	Chemokines, Bioactive amines, Inflammatory cytokines, Enzymes	NA	Cytochemistry
HOST RESISTANCE	Resistance to bacteria, viruses and tumors	NA	NA
SIGNS OF ILLNESS	NA	NA	NA	Allergy, Skin rash, Urticaria, Edema, Lymphadenopathy