In the previous reports, the authors have studied on human skin the accerelation of the tuberculin reaction repeated at the same site. Remarkable reaction appeared as early as a few hours after injection (
early reaction). Reaction at the used site attained its maximum earlier, and thereafter became weaker than that at the new site.
In the present experiment, the same phenomenon was studied on guinea-pig skin.
10 TU of old tuberculin was injected at every 3 weeks interval for 6 tim e s into the abdominal skin of 7 guinea-pigs, sensitized by innoculation of O.1 mg of heat killed M. tuberculosis suspended in liquid paraffin. Reactions were observed 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 24, 48and 72 hours after injection, and patterns of reactions at the used site were compared with those of the control reactions at the new site.
At the new site, reaction attained its maximum after 18 to 24 hours. At the used site, remarkable reaction (
early reaction) was observed 4 to 6 hours after injection. The reaction attained its maximum after 8 to 12 hours. Thereafter, it declined markedly, but even 24 to 48 hours after injection, the reaction did not become weaker than that at the new site, and this fact is different to the reaction observed on human skin.
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