Sensitivity to Mycobacterial Antigens in Tubercular Patients in Rio de Janeiro

SmI-Tubercular patients in the Hospital Estadual Clemente Ferreira in Rio de Janeiro were tested with the following purified protein derivatives (PPDs) PPD-S (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), PPD-Y (Mycobacterium kansasii), PPD-G (Mycobacterium scrofulaceum strain Gause), PPD-B (Mycobacterium intracellulare strain Battey), and PPD-F (Mycobacterium fortuitum). Antigens for the tests were supplied by Dr. Merle J. Selin, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta. The tests were performed by a trained nurse who used Mantoux's technique, and the readings were taken after 72 hr. Our results were comparable to those obtained by Edwards et al. [1], in studies of tubercular patients from the Southwest of the United States and from Alaska, where tuberculous infection is prevalent. The profiles are very similar and confirm the belief that frequencies of reaction to PPD of M. tuberculosis in tubercular patients are the same in various nations. Separation of specific from nonspecific reactions