抄録
The Lepromin reaction was tested in leprosy patients using 1, 000, 5, 000, 10, 000, (original method), 30, 000, 50, 000, 70, 000, 100, 000, 300, 000 and 1, 000, 000 fold dilutions of Dharmendra's antigen.
1) Injection of concentrated antigen solutions (1: 1000, 1: 5000) in lepromatous cases which had given negative results to the original antigen showed a slight increase in the early reaction but a conversion to positive was rare whereas the late reaction frequently became positive especially in the case of the 1: 1, 000 antigen, with the diluted antigens, both the early and late reactions were weaker.
2) In the non-lepromatous cases, which had given positive results with the original antigen, dilution of the antigen resulted in a weakening of the early reaction. Similar results were noted in the late reaction.
3) Only the early reaction is of value in the classification of leprosy type using Dhar-mendra's antigen and up to 3-fold dilutions of the original antigen are quite accurate. It is suggested that up to 7-fold dilutions (1: 70, 000) may be used but in this case, a new criterion for evaluation should be devised.
