title: Delayed skin reactivity of patients with herpetic stromal keratitis.
abstract: Twenty-seven patients with chronic stromal keratitis due to herpes simplex virus were tested for delayed skin reactions, to investigate the non-specific immune reactivity in vivo. Skin tests were performed with five ordinary antigens-Candida, mumps, phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P), purified protein derivative of tubercle bacillus (PPD), and streptokinase-streptodornase (SK-SD). The reactivity of the patients was generally decreased, as compared to the age-matched 40 healthy controls. Especially, the reactivity of the patients to PHA-P was significantly decreased (p less than 0.007). The largest mean diameters of erythema at 24 or 48 hours in Candida and PHA-P were also significantly less in the patients than in the controls (Candida, p less than 0.02; PHA-P, p less than 0.05).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002175:Candida / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009107:Mumps / Q000276:immunology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods; D013299:Streptodornase and Streptokinase / Q000276:immunology; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014373:Tuberculin; D013299:Streptodornase and Streptokinase