Studies of vaccinated persons in close contact with leprosy patients in Argentina.

BOTTASSO O; MERLÍN V; WILLIAMS H; CANNON L; INGLEDEW N; KENI M; HARTOPP R; STANFORD C; STANFORD J; BOTTASSO OSCAR

VACCINE

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Oxford; Año: 1998 vol. 16 p. 1166 - 1171

0264-410X

A total of 670 adults living or working with leprosy patients, were examined for a BCGvaccination scar; and skin-tested with four new tuberculins. Based on the results 513were vaccinated, 65 with Bacille de Calmette et Gutrin (BCG) alone, 66 with BCGplus killed Mycobacterium vaccae and 382 with killed M. vaccae alone. Skin-testingwas repeated 2-3 years later on 344 subjects, when all three vaccines were found tohave been highly successful in increasing responses to Tuberculin and Leprosin A(p < 0.0005) with increased immune recognition of common and species-specificantigens. Mean diameters of induration to each skin-test were greatest in recipients ofBCG alone (p<O.O5), which suggests that better immuno-regulation occurs afterreceiving vaccines that incorporate M. vaccae. The results suggest that M. vaccae alonemight prove a valuable future vaccine, which would not require selectivepre-vaccination procedures.