Tuberculin immunotherapy: its history and lessons to be learned.
The use of tuberculin for the therapy of tuberculosis was attempted more than 100 years ago and abandoned because of its adverse reactions. In this historical review we point out that some of the intensive efforts to avoid the reactions were based on the best scientific rationale available at that time. Balancing the dosage and intervals of tuberculin delivery with clinical and laboratory monitoring of patients achieved a limited success, with implications, toward current research in the field. The role of economical and social aspects at that time is also a lesson to be learned toward current approaches to tuberculosis control.
Vilaplana
Cristina
C
Unitat de Tuberculosi Experimental, Fundació Institut per a la Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain.
Cardona
Pere-Joan
PJ
D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D016926:Mycobacterium chelonae / Q000276:immunology; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history* / Q000517:prevention & control; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014373:Tuberculin; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines