Investigation of the Responsiveness of BCG-Vaccinated Children with Whooping-Cough to Tuberculin

Abstract

Of 29 BCG-vaccinated children with a clinical diagnosis of pertussis, only 4 (14%) were found to be tuberculin positive. This is in marked contrast to the high rate of reactivity reported for normal BCG-vaccinated children of similar age. The 4 positive reactors did not differ significantly from the 25 negatives with respect to age, interval between onset of pertussis and tuberculin test, nor to lymphocyte count taken either as the absolute number or as the percentage of leukocytes. Possible mechanisms to account for this anergic state are discussed.