抄録
The epidemilogical surveys using purified tuberculin protein were carried out in Tohoku district of Japan. The subjects of the survey were 4163 healthy persons in Self-Defence Force and 242 inpatientss of the Fukushima Sanatorium. The type-specific reaction of purified tuberculin protein prepared from several strains (Gamou, Ishii, Miike, P16) of unclassified Mycobacteria and human tubercle bacillus (H37 Rv) observed on the populations of normal healthy persons and of the inpatints of the sanatorium. 0.15g of one purified tuberculin protein prepared from unclassified mycobacteria was used as antigen for intracutaneously on the flexion surface of a forearm. The same amount of purified protein prepared from tubercle bacillus was injected on the other forearm as the control. The number of individuals who showed stronger reaction for unclassified mycobacteria than human tubercle bacillus was found to be not so large. The rate of positive reaction was observed to vary not only with reference to the type of bacteria, but also with reference to the native prefecture of the healthy persons. From these facts, the existence of the specificity of unclassified mycobacteria strain was suggested in spite of uncertainty concerning the possibility of cross-reaction between unclassified mycobacteria and human tubercle bacillus. The positive rate on the inpatients was lower than that on the healthy persons except Miike. But the positive reaction for unclassified mycobacteria in inpatients suggested that among patients diagnosed as tuberculosis were included those with unclassified mycobacteria.
