Experimental hyperreactivity of tuberculosis by the cholera vaccinations

ABSTRACT

These studies have experimentally demonstrated the induction of hyperreactivity of tuberculosis in rabbits, monkeys, and man by the injections of cholera El Tor heat-killed vaccine. Our criterion the severity of the tuberculous lesions after the injections of the El Tor vaccine and not on the determinations of LD50 of the El Tor endotoxins as done by Suter(1962) for those of the Salmonella typhimurium. While our approaches to this problem have been different from those of Suter, we have had the same results as those of the latter except in looking for the mechanisms and/or nature of hyperreactivityOur main view in this regard has been a mechanism that belongs to the phenomenon of anergy. This means that the endotoxins of cholera El Tor could destroy the antibody formation of the lymphocytes against tuberculosis indirectly by shifting this same capacity against their (El Tor) toxins. When this state of affair happens, with no immunebody road-blocks against tuberculosis, it becomes very obvious that the Mycobacterium tuberculosis will be very active; and sequentially, the tuberculosis lesions will have a flare-up. On the other hand, the restoration of this function of the lymphocytes against the mycobacterium tuberculosis by the administrations of corticoids will abolish this hyperreactivity of tuberculosis. In resume, the nature of hyperreactivity from this study is but a sort of anergy. (Summary and conclusions)