The Effect of Chemotherapy on the Tuberculin Sensitivity of Leukocytes from Tuberculous Patients¹

Leukocytic Hypersensitivity in Experimental Group A Streptococcal Infections

“…The failure of the reinjection of the homologous type of Streptococcus 8 weeks after the initial infection to induce the recurrence of the leukocytic hypersensitivity might, thereforZ, be accounted for by the presence of such a typespecific antibody acting to promote a more efficient elimination of the microorganisms (11,18). When these data are considered together with the finding of Scherago and his co-workers that the development of leukocytic hypersensitivity is associated with active infection (3,4,8,17), it would seem that the recurrence of leukocytic hypersensitivity in group A streptococcal infection also requires an active infection. However, in the case of group A streptococcal infection, the recurrence of the leukocytic hypersensitivity could be induced only when reinfection was accomplished with a serotype that was different from the one that caused the initial infection.…”

“…Moen (12), working with guinea pigs infected with group C hemolytic streptococci, found no correlation between the degree of skin reactivity and the degree of in vitro sensitivity of splenic cells to the homologous streptococcal extract. Scherago and his co-workers reported the waning of hypersensitivity of the leukocytes in experimental (8) and human tuberculosis (4,17), and in experimental B. abortus infection (3). They found that, in every case, as the disease be- The absence of correlation between in vitro hypersensitivity and skin hypersensitivity points to the possibility that these two types of immune response may differ qualitatively as well as quantitatively.…”

“…Scherago and his co-workers (3,4,8,15) suggested that the leukocytic hypersensitivity is associated only with active infection. It may be that during the active stage of infection a larger proportion of cells becomes sensitized, some of which become distributed or are held in the blood.…”

“…As the disease became inactive, the leukocytic sensitivity to tuberculin waned, although the skin sensitivity persisted. Gerlach, Scherago, and Hall (4) reported that the hypersensitivity of the leukocytes from tuberculous patients to tuberculin also decreased after chemotherapy although the skin sensitivity did not. Darlington and Scherago (3) found that, in guinea pigs that were experimentally infected with Brucella abortus, skin sensitivity developed the 1st week after infection, whereas leukocytic sensitivity did not appear until the 4th week, at which time the animals had developed bilateral orchitis.…”