Factors Conditioning the Development of the Tuberculin Type of Hypersensitivity

[摘要] 1. 1. Preliminary treatment with egg-white of a series of animals, thus producing an anaphylactic sensitivieness, before infection with tubercle bacilli and subsequent treatment with egg-white according to methods known to produce a tuberculin type of reaction, apparently prevented in the majority of instances the development of tuberculin-type sensitivity.2. 2. One-fifth to 0.1 mgm. of egg-white is approximately the minimal single dose required for the constant production of strong tuberculin type of sensitivity. An initial injection of a much smaller amount, however, exerts a marked influence on the effect of injections given at later periods. When successive doses are used in sensitizing the animals, or when repeated skin tests are made, either the anaphylactic or the tuberculin type of sensitivity may develop. Among the factors governing which type of sensitiveness will appear are the intervals between injections, the route of injection not only of the initial but of subsequent doses and the condition of the animal dependent on the state and degree of its infection. Repeated injections in short interval favor the development of anaphylactic type of sensitivity. If the interval after the first injection is long enough for the development of a marked grade of tuberculin type of sensitivity, consecutive injections usually increase the strength of this type of sensitivity.3. 3. During the first week after intravenous infection with the R1 strain of tubercle bacilli conditions as favorable for the production of the tuberculin type of sensitiveness as those afforded by a strong local infection are not produced. If the intravenous infection is a heavy one the effect appears in contrast to be distinctly inhibitory. It seems fair to conclude that the slight generalized infection which follows a local tuberculous infection has little to do with the effects observed in locally infected guinea pigs.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）