Tuberculin Reaction. III. Transfer of Systemic Tuberculin Sensitivity with Cells of Tuberculous Guinea Pigs. *

Abstract

Summary

The results of the present investigations establish tlhat systemic tuberculin sensitivity can be passively transferred in the guinea pig with the cells of induced peritoneal exudates of tuberculous donors. The systemic shock produced in recipients passively sensitized in this manner is of the typical delayed tuberculin type. These findings supplement the observation of Chase¹ that cutaneous tuberculin sensitivity can be passively transferred in the guinea pig with the cells of induced peritoneal exudates of donors sensitized with heat-killed tubercle bacilli by providing additional evidence that the sensitivity transferred is of the tuberculin type. In a limited number of trials it was also found that desensitization of tuberculous donors with tuberculin tends to abolish the capacity of their peritoneal cells to passively transfer tuberculin sensitivity. If this observation is confirmed it will provide strong evidence that desensitization results from the saturation of fixed cellular antibody with antigen.