Delayed-type skin reaction to tuberculin and the cellular and humoral immune response "in vitro" in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

This paper presents the results of delayed-type skin reaction to tuberculin and the cellular and humoral immune responses "in vitro" in 5 0 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis admitted to the "Parque Hospitalar do Mandaqui", Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the period from May t o August 1980, matched for sex and ranging in age from 20 to 80 years old. In order to study the delayed-type skin reaction to tuberculin, the PPD, Rt-23, 2 TU (Purified protein derivative) was used and the result obtained was of 14.0% of nonreactors, 12.0% of weak reactors a nd 74.0% of strong reactors. The "in vitro" study of cellular and hum oral immune responses was carried out by determining the number of T and B lymphocytes, the lymphocyte transformation, the liberation of t he leucocyte inhibitor factor ( LIF) and by the passive hemaglutination test.