TUBERCULIN REACTION IS SUPPRESSED IN ATOPIC DERMATITIS CHILDREN

Abstract

The tuberculin reactivity was studied in allergic children (bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, and/or allergic conjunctivitis). The percentage of positive tuberculin test (≥10mm erythema) in allergic children with atopic dermatitis (group AD) was 55% (53/97 cases) which was significantly lower than those in non-allergic children (group NA) (69%, 524/760 cases) or in allergic children without atopic dermatitis (group AL) (66%, 97/146 cases). A similar result was obtained in the selected children who were not treated with steroids and anti-allergic drugs for their possible immunosuppressive effects. When the tuberculin reactivity was studied in children who had received BCG one year before, it was also found that the tuberculin reaction was decreased in atopic dermatitis children. In order to study whether the decrease of the tuberculin reaction on the allergic children is due to the delayed response or not, the tuberculin reactivity was evaluated at both 48hr and 72hr later. The positive tuberculin reaction at 72hr later in AD children who were negative at 48hr was found 16% (5/31 cases) comparative to those in NA children (16%, 18/116 cases) and AL children (7%, 1/14 cases). The statistical analysis revealed the negative significance. These results suggest that the tuberculin reaction is suppressed in atopic dermatitis children. This needs to be considered when evaluating the tuberculin test in children with allergic disorders.