Tuberculosis Immunity in Sarcoidosis Studied with the Aid of Radioactive BCG Vaccine

Abstract

Summary1. The relationship between tuberculin sensitivity and tuberculosis immunity was studied in 39 cases of pulmonary sarcoidosis. The tuberculosis immunity was assessed by following the absorption of intradermslly injected BCG vaccine.3. A depression of tuberculin sensitivity was noted chiefly in cases of generalized and/or chronic sarcoidosis.3. Signs of enhanced tuberculosis immunity (the so‐called positive anergy were not to be observed in the present series. In several grave cases of sarcoidosis, absorption of radioactive BCG vaccine was instead decidedly rapid, which suggests a decrease in tuberculosis immunity.4. No parallelism emerged between the degree of tuberculin sensitivity and of tuberculosis immunity.

The Relationship of Sarcoidosis to Tuberculosis

“…This assumption is supported not only by clinical observations but also by studies with radioactive BCG vaccine. When using this method, accelerated absorption was demonstrated in cases of advanced sarcoidosis compared with the absorption in mild cases (4). This fact might be interpreted as the result of a lowered immunity to tubercle bacteria in cases of advanced sarcoidosis.…”