Contact Dermatitis is a type of skin hypersensitivity. Its onset may be delayed by several days to as much as several years, for weaker sensitizers. Once sensitized, fresh exposure to the sensitizing material can trigger itching and dermatitis within a few hours. The Ames Test is used to assess whether a chemical might be a carcinogen. It assumes that carcinogens possess mutagenic activity, and uses bacteria and mammalian microsomes to determine whether a chemical is a mutagen. Approximately 85% of known carcinogens are mutagens. The Ames test, therefore, is a helpful but not perfect predictor of carcinogenic potential.
characterized by or caused by allergy; "an allergic reaction"
Hypersensitivity or reaction caused by a substance or ingredient.
rhinitis: A seasonal allergic, upper respiratory reaction stimulated by tree, grass or weed pollen that causes sneezing and watery, itchy eyes. Hay fever is a specific type of allergic rhinitis.
inflammations caused by unusual sensitivity to foreign substances.
Having an overly sensitive immune response to one or more harmless substances (See atopic, Allergies).