FAILURE TO TRANSFER TUBERCULIN SENSITIVITY PASSIVELY WITH PLASMA FRACTIONS CONTAINING ALPHA GLOBULIN

Abstract

Passive transfer of tuberculin sensitivity into normal guinea pigs with alpha globulin from the plasma of highly sensitized donors was unsuccessful unless the recipient animals were chronically infected with streptococci. In infected animals, repeated skin tests with PPD may have actively induced minimally positive skin responses which were observed. Injection of plasma fractions containing gamma globulin transferred skin reactivity to tuberculopolysaccharide which was maximal 4 to 6 hours after testing.