Ajax Harwood Clinic
MELISA metal allergy test
Full name: MELISA (memory lymphocyte immunostimulation assay) metal sensitivity test
This test is rarely useful for the reasons people usually ask about it.
What this test is
MELISA is a blood test for metal allergy. It checks for a reaction to metals like nickel, cobalt, or chromium. A skin patch test checks for the same thing a different way. Studies do not agree on how reliable MELISA is. One study found it gave many false alarms for some metals. Another found it matched real symptoms in people with metal joint implants. Because the evidence is mixed, the skin patch test is still the standard test for metal allergy. MELISA can help with specific questions, like unclear symptoms after a joint implant. But it is usually done along with a patch test, not instead of one, and often with a specialist involved.
Want to see the full clinical reasoning? The reference we use for this test is open to anyone — it is detailed and written for clinicians, and you are welcome to read it.
Open the clinician reference →Looking for other tests, or more on a condition an ND raised? Explore ask.ajaxharwoodclinic.com →
General health information for Ajax Harwood Clinic patients and the public — not medical advice, and not a substitute for seeing your own doctor. Last reviewed 2026-09-23.