Abstract
IN a recent publication from this laboratory it was noted that vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs prevented induction of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis as well as development of the tuberculin reaction1. Replacement of the scorbutic diet with a normal stock diet four weeks after deprivation began and three weeks after inoculation of the challenge vaccine containing brain and killed Mycobacterium butyricum in water-in-oil emulsion permitted subsequent development of tuberculin sensitivity although the guinea pigs failed to develop clinical or histological signs of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. It was important to determine the exact basis for the animals' failure to respond to tuberculin by development of a skin reaction because of the bearing this information might have on the induction of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Did absence of vitamin C prevent the end organ response (development of a positive skin reaction to tuberculin or, in the case of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, the inflammatory lesions in the brain), or was the vitamin essential to the primary immunological response to the injected antigen(s)?
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Mueller, P. S., Kies, M. W., Alvord, jun., E. C., and Shaw, C. M., J. Exp. Med., 115, 329 (1962).
Heilman, D. H., and Feldman, W. H., Amer. Rev. Tuberc., 54, 312 (1946).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MUELLER, P., KIES, M. Suppression of Tuberculin Reaction in the Scorbutic Guinea Pig. Nature 195, 813 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/195813a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/195813a0
This article is cited by
-
In vitro correlates of delayed hypersensitivity in tuberculosis
The Indian Journal of Pediatrics (1970)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.