CELLULAR REACTIONS TO TUBERCULO-PROTEINS COMPARED WITH THE REACTIONS TO TUBERCULO-LIPIDS

Abstract

All of the tuberculo-lipids and all prepns. of the proteins are remarkable stimulants of the phagocytic mononuclear cells, specifically of monocytes. The reactions to the phosphatides and waxes are relatively uniform the phosphatides induce the formation of epithelioid cells from monocytes, giving rise to tubercles; the waxes and hydroxy-acids become surrounded by monocytes which then fuse into foreign body giant cells to engulf the wax. The cellular reactions to the proteins are more complex for they induce all forms of the phagocytic mononuclears, monocytes, epithelioid cells, macrophages, and giant cells.