Observations upon Allergic Reactions Produced with Various Bacilli of the Acid-Fast Group

The two representative pathogenic bacilli of the acid-fast group are B. tuberculosis and B. leprae.

The phenomena of allergic reactions in tuberculosis have been well established clinically and experimentally. The experimentalists have obtained various forms of such reactions and have arrived at divergent opinions concerning their relationship to aggravation of or protection against the disease. Thus, Dembinski, 1 Rolland. 2 Krause and Willis, 3 and Clawson 4 consider that despite the allergic state present or produced experimentally by inoculation with B. tuberculosis, the resistance to subsequent infection is greatly exalted. On the other hand, Seller, 5 Rich, Jenning and Downing 6 regard the sensitized state as a precipitating factor of increased susceptibility. Pagel 7 states that there is no parallelism between tuberculin-super-sensitivity and immunity.

In connection with leprosy, the use of leprolin has, in general, been especially applied to this disease. Cummins and Williams 8 carried out some combined tests with tuberculin and leprolin upon human subjects and considered that there existed some group-sensitivity.

It is to be noted, however, that but little, if any, of the results of experimentation has been published relative to presence or absence of specific allergic reactions produced by various members of this extensive group either in regard to infection with B. tuberculosis or B. leprae.

The work of Harris and Lanford. 9 , 10 Lewis and Aronson, 11 and Cooke 12 has shown that serological methods (lo not afford a satisfactory means of differentiation of various strains or members of the acid-fast group. Such results have been attributed to the supposedly common lipoidal coat affording the acid-resistant factor.

Although the specific identification of most of the members of this extensive group is readily accomplished by pathogenicity, cultural and other tests, the differentiation of certain of these strains is especially important in connection with cultures recovered from leprous lesions.