Does malnutrition affect tuberculin hypersensitivity reaction in the community.

Abstract

Distribution of tuberculin test indurations were studied in relation to nutritional status of 930 rural children aged 1–4 years and 796 aged 5–9 years. Using Quetlet’s Index it has been observed that the distribution of indurations were similar in normal and malnourished children. By following Jelliffe’s criteria of grading nutrition, no correlation was observed between the size of induration and degree of malnutrition. It is concluded that malnutrition in the community may not influence the prevalence rates of tuberculin infection based on such testing.