Abstract
Sera obtained from 86 leprosy patients were tested for the presence of circulating antibody by means of the Ouchterlony method. The antigens employed were filtrate Preparations of Youman's culture media of the H37Rv strain, M. bovis (BCG, 263), two strains of atypical acid-fast microorganisms isolated from the sputum of tuberculous patients and saprophytic microbacterial strains (scotocromogenic acid-fast bacilli and milk strain). The results were as follows:
Fifty-four Specimens of serum from 86 leprosy patients reacted with the above antigens on agardouble diffusion test. Thirteen specimens of these 54 cases gave a positive reaction only with the antigen of H37Rv, and five specimens reacted only with the antigen of M. bovis. Two of the remaining 36 specimens reacted only with the antigens present in atypical acid-fast bacilli. The last 34 specimens of sera reacted with the common antigens present in H37Rv, bovine strains (BCG, 236), atypical acid-fast bacilli, milk strain and Dharmendra antigen.
Antibodies to the antigens of atypical mycobacteria were detected also in sera of tuberculous patients as indicated in the preceding paper. The positive rate of the Ouchterlony test in sera of tuberculous patients was less than that in leprosy patients. In so far as these tests show, there is significant differences between the positive cases in the Ouchterlony test obtained in lepromatous and tuberculoid leprosy. For example fifty-one of fifty-four cases of a positive Ouchterlony test were observed in lepromatous leprosy and only the remaining three cases in tuberculoid. Sex, age and process of diseases as will as associated tuberculosis do not effect the results of the Ouchterlony test. Sera taken from healthy nurses did not show any precipitation band with the exception of one case. In this case no evidence of tuberculous disease had been noted in the past.
