title: The pathogenicity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during chemotherapy.
abstract: We used the guinea pig as an experimental model to investigate the pathogenicity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Sputum samples were injected subcutaneously into guinea pigs and the animals were killed and an autopsy performed after eight weeks. The likelihood of the sputum samples producing tuberculosis in the guinea pig was related to culture positivity rather than to duration of chemotherapy. This study does not support the belief that a change in pathogenicity occurs during treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Peamount Hospital, Newcastle, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Clancy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Costello
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004977:Ethambutol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D004977:Ethambutol; D007538:Isoniazid; D012293:Rifampin