EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON THE ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY REACTIONS IN TUBERCULOSIS Part I. Studies on the tuberculin allergy and circulating antibodies in Laboratory animals; vaccinated with tuberculous antigens and treated with cortisone or purine.
Authors: Chun Nam Ho 
Published: May 2022

Middlebrook & Dubos and Middlebrooks report were the earliest to show passive hemagglutination and hemolytic reaction in the serum of tuberculous patients. A investigation was carried out to detect humoral antibodies by a sensitive Invitro test such as the hemolytic reaction by a modified Coombs formula, the so called detection of complete and incomplete tuberculous antibodies by Sindo. The main reason for this is that the conditioned hemolytic reaction may be caused by similar such as reversed passive anaphylaxis due to the association of the antibody, complement and the antigen which is sensitized onto erythrocytes, a living cell unit. Recently the reason that the healthy person whose is much similar to the increased antibody was in the Invitro reaction and tuberculin reaction was due to such conditions in Korea, as the too wide spread tuberculin test for the tuberculosis diagnosis, B.C.G. vaccination and uncontrolled active tuberculous patients. Beside, it has been considered that humoral antibody, with Invitro reaction revealing the immediate Arthus type, while the sessile antibody, has been considered as closely related to allergic phenomena such as the delayed type of tuberculin skin reaction. The purpose of this study were, firstly to find modified tuberculous antibodies by hemagglutination(H.A.) test, hemagglutination modified(H.A.M.) test and hemolytic(H.L) test, secondly to see if the experiments brought light on any mutual relationship between a tuberculin allergy and antibody produced in the human and experimental animals. The third aim was to test a fact that animals do not generally show immunity as the human, nor tuberculin allergy and whether attained naturally or artificially. In the experiments for the detection of mutual relations in part I cortisone was used, an anti-allergic substance, in order to suppress the activation of tuberculin allergy reaction and antibody production in the experimental rabbits and guina-pigs, when cortisone was prescribed with immunized tuberculous antigens. Used in order to create a similarity with humans. It should be recalled that because of the humans meat eating habit we have purine in our circulation while the rabbit and guniea-pig are grass eaters. Purine is excreted as uric acid guinea-pig the intestines and liver after its metabolic conversion in muscle and other organs. Cortisosne and purine was given and then the rabbits and guinea pigs were immunized with antigens such as B.C.G. H37RV and Ravenel strain, and the animal serum thus obtained was investigated by H.A., H.A.M. and H.L. tests and tuberculin allergy tests a summary of the results are as follow. 1. When cortisone as an anti-allergic substance was given with B.C.G. & tubercle bacilli antigens, the rabbits and guinea pigs tuberculin allergy reaction was suppressed up to 2 months, however the tuberculin allergy became after positive 3 months, and kept ascension without effecting on antibody formation. 2. When purine was given with B.C.G. & tubercle bacilli antigens the rabbits and guinea pigs earlier positive tuberculin allergy and antibody reaction as show in the control group, turned rapidly negative. 3. The results of H.A., H.A.M. and H.L. between the tuberculin allergy reaction and the serum Invitro had no parallel reaction in the B.C.G. or immunized tubercle bacilli antigens to rabbits and guinea-pigs. 4. The tuberculous immune antibody was confirmed serologically and by tuberculin allergy test. Thus, the author is of the opinion that the antibody is a polyvalent antibody, also it is shown that tuberculous antibody should keep pace with 3 tests of H.A., H.A.M., H.L. methods, and tuberculin allergy test.