BACKGROUND African hospitals have experienced major increases in admissions for tuberculosis, but they are ill-equipped to prevent institutional transmission. We compared institutional rates and community rates of tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion in Harare, Zimbabwe. METHODS We conducted a cohort study of TST conversion 6, 12, and 18 months into training among 159 nursing and 195 polytec...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To assess the validity of purified protein derivative (PPD) readings by patients and trained health-care professionals as compared with a calibrated model. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS Survey of a group of patients, nurses, medical assistants, and physicians at five neighborhood health centers in the Bronx, NY. INTERVENTIONS Participants were asked to read a calibrated model wit...

Experiments were carried out in the skin of patients with leprosy to examine whether suppressor cell populations either exist in the skin of multibacillary lepromatous leprosy patients, can be activated with antigen, or are induced to emigrate into a cutaneous site from the circulation. For this purpose, purified protein derivative of tuberculin, a delayed-type antigen that generates a cell-med...

After Mantoux testing with purified protein derivative (PPD) equivalent to 5 tuberculin units (TU), a 28 yr old man developed extensive erythema, induration and proximal lymphangitis. This is the only such case observed after Mantoux testing in approximately 500,000 subjects during 10 yrs in the Greek Army.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to compare efficacy, early postoperative morbidity and patient comfort of two laser wavelengths and fibre types in treatment of great saphenous vein (GSV) incompetence resulting in varicosities of the lower limb. DESIGN Prospective randomised clinical trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty patients (106 limbs) were randomised into two groups. They were treate...

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis poses a great challenge, especially in children. The response of BCG Test may be different in previously vaccinated children and needs to be considered before interpreting positivity for TB. This study has been carried out to determine the pattern of BCG reaction comparing previously vaccinated with non-vaccinated children. METHODS The study was conducted in the health...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis ESAT-6 protein for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). MATERIAL AND METHODS A phase II trial was performed in 158 patients with pulmonary TB (145 initially-treated and 13 re-treated) and 133 healthy subjects. Skin testing was carried out by injecting purified protein derivative (PP...