1965 Volume 14 Issue 12 Pages 658-665,712-71
The pattern of tuberculin reaction is altered at the site of previous tests. At a previously used site, reaction appears earlier and fades sooner than at a new site. In order to ascertain whether this change of reactivity of the tested skin area is the result of local sensitization by injected tuberculin, or it is merely the nonspecific consequence of local inflammation, two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, 0.06 mcg of PPDs, 10 u of agglutinogen of. B. pertussis and 15 u of "Communin" (a filtrate of culture medium of E. coli) were injected in three new sites respectively on the backs of eight adults. Every two weeks each of these antigens was injected twice or three times in the same site. One month after the last injection PPDs was injected in all three sites and in a new site as a control. Reactions were observed 4, 8, 24 and 48 hours after injection. As the site where PPDs was repeatedly injected, remarkable early reaction and typical accerelation of the delayed reaction observed in all cases. where agglutinogen or "Communin" had previously been injected, the typical alteration of reaction pattern with early reaction and accelerated delayed reaction were not noticed except in one case, though the reaction was intensified in other cases. In the remaining four cases reaction pattern was the same as at the new site. In summary, other antigens injected intradermally could not influence the subsequent tuberculin reaction in the same manner as tuberculin itself. In the second experiment, previous injections were the same as in the first. One month after the last injection agglutinogen was injected in all three sites and in a new site as a control. The observation times were the same in the first. At the site where agglutinogen was repeatedly injected, early reaction and acceleration of delayed reaction were observed in all cases. At the sites where PPDs of "Communin" had previously been injected, reaction pattern was almost the same as at the new site. In summary, in other delayed type skin reaction such as agglutinogen skin test, the same alteration reaction pattern at the repeatedly injected site as in the tuberculin reaction was observe. From the above it became clear that local inflammations elicited by other antigens can not produce the typical modification of reactivity to tuberculin. The acceleration of tuberculin reaction was only observed where tuberculin was previously injected. Similar acceleration by repeated injection can be seen not only with tuberculin but also with other antigen such as agglutinogen of B. pertussis.
