Cat scratch disease: results of complement-fixation and skin tests.

Abstract

Abstract : Serologic and skin-testing data on a group of patients having cat scratch disease are presented to demonstrate a possible relationship to the psitt-LGV group of viruses. In addition, the results of skin-testing patients with different batches of skin-test antigen are given. The data obtained indicate that the incidence of positive serologic reactions with the psitt-LGV group antigen is consistently higher in patients with cat scratch disease than in individuals of the control group. However, the percentage of positive reactions is not what would be expected from any direct etiologic casual relationship. The response of groups of individuals of different preparations of skin-testing antigen was so variable as to suggest that either more than one agent may be involved or marked strain variations must occur among the agents producing this clinical syndrome. In a small series of LGV patients, 2 of 5 did not respond with positive skin reactions when tested with cat scratch antigen, and at least 2 of the remaining 3 responded in a manner difficult to interpret.