CULTURE OF NOCARDIOFORM BACILLI FROM LEPROSY PATIENTS AND CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF NOCARDIOFORM BACILLI DERIVED ANTIGEN

An antigen derived from cultured nocardioform bacilli was compared wit h Mitsuda lepromin in intradermal skin test reactions. Nocardioform ba cilli were cultured in gelatin minimal medium from the tissue fluid of 85 lepromatous patients (56 M, 29 F). Of these, 65 samples showed unc ontaminated growth of the organism, which were pooled for the manufact ure of the test antigen. This antigen was intradermally tested in 50 u ntreated leprosy patients irrespective of the type, together with Mits uda lepromin and sterile gelatin minimal media, which served as a cont rol. No early reaction was observed at 72 h, while the late reaction a t 28 days was positive in all patients in the Tuberculoid (TT) group w ith both antigens. Eighteen patients (81.8%) in the Borderline tubercu loid (BT) group reacted strongly to Mitsuda lepromin at 28 days, while 21 patients (95.5%) in this group showed a strong late reaction with the test antigen. The lepromatous (LL) group did not show any reaction with the two antigens. It is inferred that nocardioform bacilli are e asy to cultivate, and that the test antigen compares well with Mitsuda lepromin.