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Immunological Studies in Tuberculosis

III. Concerning Allergic Reactions Obtained in Animals Sensitized with Killed Tubercle Bacilli

Research and Clinical Laboratory of Trudeau Foundation, Trudeau, New York

Abstract

An attempt has been made to repeat with animals sensitized by dead tubercle bacilli the various allergic phenomena which in the past have been observed in animals previously infected with living tubercle bacilli.

Intracutaneous skin test, intraperitoneal tuberculin reaction, Pfeiffer's phenomenon and Koch's intracutaneous phenomenon have been studied, with the use of animals previously sensitized with heat killed tubercle bacilli. All animals sensitized with such organisms were previously healthy and failed to react to 5 per cent old tuberculin.

In studying these allergic reactions two types of controls were used—one of tuberculous and the other of perfectly healthy animals. The object of this is obvious. The desire was to see whether the animal sensitized with dead organisms in any way varied from an infected animal. We have purposely left the question of the immunizing value of dead bacilli for a later contribution.

In the second part of our experimental study, i.e., the allergic reaction of the eye, the pleura and the testis, only a few tuberculous animals were used for correlation controls. The larger number were animals sensitized with killed tubercle bacilli. We admit that many of our series consisted of small numbers of animals, but the difference was so striking that there was no doubt as to their correct interpretation. Much more work must be done before a definite conclusion can be drawn. However, we are safe in stating (1) that animals sensitized with dead tubercle bacilli give an allergic reaction which in its essentials does not vary from that observed in infected animals, and (2) that the severity of the reaction depends upon the degree of the hypersensitiveness.