Tuberculine Sensitivity in Children Tuberculosis Patients during Isoniazid Treatment

Abstract

It was reported some time ago that streptomycine or isoniazid depressed tuberculine sensitivity. Since then many accounts have been reported about it.
Hewell reported that during isoniazid therapy, there was a decrease of tuberculine sensitivity. During 1960, in New Mexico, there were reports indicating that approximately 15% of the students who had positive tuberculine reaction converted into negative after isoniazid therapy.
We had an experience where two children tuberculosis patients who had tuberculine reaction had converted after eight months of isoniazid treatment. These two patients were admitted to our hospital because of positive tuberculine reaction without change in chest X-ray. We have not seen any change in tuberculine reaction in the other patients with positive tuberculine reaction with change in the chest X-ray.
That tuberculine sensitivity is diminished by isoniazid treatment especialy in simple pulmonary tuberculosis means that the hypersensitivity of tuberculine reaction is diminished by isoniazid.