The tuberculin test with PPD Rt-23 in children under 14 years old, in two areas of São Paulo city was studied. From 1960 to 1969, in the Tuberculosis Ambulatory of the School of Public Health of S. Paulo, 18,129 persons were examined, and from 1966 to 1969 in the Tuberculosis Ambulatory of the “Associação dos Sanatórios Populares “Campos do Jordão” 38,436 persons were examined. In both communities the same method and direction were used. The percentage of positive reactors was […]

On the second half of 1969, we investigated the tuberculosis infection level in the school children of Botucatu town, ages between 7 and 15 years old, and the intradermic BCG effect. Also was investigated the tuberculine turn over. PPD RT23 with 2UT (0,04 mcg) accordingly with the National Tuberculosis Bureau (Serviço Nacional de Tuberculose). The predominance of this infection was around 6%, what, although apparentely low, still suggests that tuberculosis is a local Public Health problem, with an urgent necessity […]

The results of tuberculinic sensitivity investigation and vaccination of the non reactors with intradermic BCG among schoolchildren in the first grades of the S. Paulo Municipal Schools over a period of four years is presented. The data obtained showed rates that varied between 1.6 and 3.0% for weak reactors and 6.6 and 7.6% for strong reactors. Vaccination was performed on 129,784 children, corresponding to 89.7% of the 144,641 non reactors. The investigation of the tuberculinic turn-over after vaccination was done […]

Hipersensibility reaction to the tuberculin test was studied using two types of simultaneous application in young male patients: usual syringe and needle and dermo-jet. The results revealed 61.3% positive reactions with the use of syringe and needle, vs. 40.0% using dermo-jet. These results show that the use of conventional syringe and needle in tuberculin skin tests is still the best current practice.

The classification problem in the tuberculin test was studied. A sample of induration data from a generic population was used and the “best possible regions” criterion was applied. Estimates of classification regions and estimates of probabilities of misclassification were obtained.

The tuberculin test standardized with 2 T.U. of PPD Rt 23 was applied to 35,680 people of all ages and both sexes, living in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Southeast region of Brazil. The aspect of the histograms representative of the tuberculin sensitivity suggests the existence of infections by Anonymous Mycobacteria in this area.

The Bhattacharya method (decomposition of frequency distribution into Normal components by a graphic method) was applied to 35.680 results of tuberculin tests performed on the persons who demanded the Health Centre of Ribeirão Preto, between May-1973 and April 1974. It was possible to evidence, to characterize and to show three Normal components (corresponding to uninfected, probably infected with atypical strains of mycobacteria and infected with mycobacteria) in diferent age groups. There is a possibility of misclassification in the kind of […]

Results of tuberculin reaction from PPD Rt 23, 2UT are reported on children under one year of age and children from one to four years of age who were registered in the Pediatric Clinics of the Hospital das Clinicas of the College of Medicine of the State University of São Paulo. The study was carried out from 1971 through 1975. In a group of 665 children under one year of age, 3.15% were weak reactors while 6.62% were strong reactors, […]

Results of tuberculin skin tests performed three months after intradermal vaccination with the Moreau-Rio de Janeiro strain of BCG were analyzed. The tests were made upon 7,790 persons, including a group of infants in their first trimester of life, a delicate and obviously necessary object of attention today. The percentage of positive reactors in the whole population group tested was 69%. A detailed analysis of the reactiveness in the different age groups was carried out. Moreover, that this study is […]

This article demonstrates that BCG revaccination when tuberculin test results are used as the reason for the revaccination of people with doubtful reactions or no reactions at all should be considered outdated. To show this a brief exposition on tuberculin sensitivity and acquired resistance to tuberculosis and then the technical background of the tuberculin test are presented followed by comments concerning tuberculin profiles of general population groups. Individual variations in BCG – induced allergy raise questions about a possible correlation […]