[Kveim test performed with antigen obtained from lymph nodes]. / Reação de Kveim praticada com antígeno obtido de linfonodos.

This is our second paper about the Kveim test performed with G-77 antigen obtained from sarcoid lymph nodes. The antigen was tested in 46 patients with proved or suspected sarcoidosis and in 50 controls. Results were: 1) In 27 patients with active proved sarcoidosis and without treatment the test was positive in 85,1% (23/27 patients); 2) In 2/3 patients with proved sarcoidosis after therapeutic remission for more than two years and without treatment presently, the results were positive in one of them; 4) In 14 patients suspected to have sarcoidosis but showing lesions only on the skin the test was positive in 58,1% (8/14 patients); 5) In 48 controls the test was negative but in 2 it was positive. Our results agree with those of the literature.

[Behavior of the intradermal reaction with lepromin in sarcoidosis patients]. / Comportamento da intradermo-reação con lepromina em doentes de sarcoidose.

The Lepromin (Mitsuda) skin test was performed in 14 patients with sarcoidosis and in 40 controls. In the sarcoidosis patients results were negative in 85.8% and positive in 14.2%. In the control group, on the contrary, results were negative in 15.0% and positive in 85.0%. Thus it became evident that patients with sarcoidosis produce an impaired reaction to the characteristic granuloma formation of the Mitsuda test. This seems to be a paradoxical response, since sarcoidosis is an essentially granulomatous disease.

[Comparative study of the lepromin reaction performed on medical students and on a control group]. / Estudo comparativo da lepromino-reação praticada em estudantes de medicina e em grupo controle.

The lepromin test was studied in 64 medical students and in a control group consisted of 40 patients from the orthopedic clinic. Both groups matched with respect to age and sex, but differed with regard to socio-economical conditions. The Fernandez reaction showed low frequency of positive results in both groups: 10% in the first group and 5,6% in the second one. This difference was not significant. The Mitsuda reaction showed high frequency of positive results: 98,4% in the medical students and 85,0% in the control group. This difference was significant. The authors discuss the factors that might have caused the high positivity of the lepromin test among the medical students.

Conversion of the C3 component of complement in sera of hanseniasis patients.

The levels of total C3 (native C3 plus its degradation products) and the degree of conversion of native C3 into its breakdown products were studied in sera of Virchowian (V), tuberculoid (T), indeterminate (I), and Virchowian with erythema nodosum Hansenicum (ENH) patients. Sera from normal individuals (N) were also analysed. While the levels of total C3 were not significantly different among the groups, the percentage of conversion of C3 into its degradation products was significantly higher in V and ENH sera. The activation of the complement system and the involvement of immune complexes (IC) are discussed.

[Comparative study of the intradermal reaction performed with whole lepromin and ultrasonic-treated lepromin in normal subjects]. / Estudo comparativo da intradermo-reaçao praticada com lepromina integral e com lepromina tratada porultrasom em individuos normais.

A comparative study on the Fernandez and on the Mitsuda reaction was made in 104 normal people employing whole and sonicated lepromin. Both types of lepromin can induce a good early reaction, and there was no significant difference in the results of the Fernandez reaction. The sonicated lepromin, though it contains all of the components of the original preparation, gives weaker late skin reactions. The results of the Mitsuda reaction were statistically significant.

Dificuldades para diagnostico de sarcoidose exclusivamente cutanea. / Difficulties in the diagnosis of exclu sively cutaneous sarcoidosis

Dez pacientes que receberam o diagnostico de sarcoidose, em sua forma estritamente cutanea, foram acompanhados e/ou revistos em um periodo de dois a cinco anos, apos o diagnostico inicial. Cinco pacientes tiveram seus diagnosticos confirmados e se mantem curados apos tratamento com corticosteroides. Um paciente, apos tres anos, evoluiu para uma forma ganglionar e pulmonar de sarcoidose. Tres pacientes tiveram seus diagnosticos reformulados para hanseniase tuberculoide e foram tratados com sulfona. Um paciente teve seu diagnostico retificado para paracoccidioidomicose,forma cutanea localizada. Os autores discutem o comportamento dos testes tuberculinico, leprominico e de Kveim, no grupo estudado.Concluem reconhecendo a existencia de formas cutaneas estritas de sarcoidose, mas chamam a atencao para a dificuldade do diagnostico diferencial, sobretudo com hanseniase tuberculoide

Conversion of the C3 component of complement in sera of hanseniasis patients.

Os niveis de C3 total (C3 nativo mais seus produtos de degradacao) e o grau de conversao do C3 nativo em seus produtos de degradacao foram estudados em soros de pacientes V, T, I e de V com ENH. Soros de individuos normais foram tambem analisados, enquanto os niveis de C3 total nao diferiram significativamente entre os grupos, a conversao de C3 em seus produtos de degradacao foi significativamente maior nos soros de pacientes V e naqueles com ENH. A ativacao do sistema complemento e o envolvimento dos IC neste processo sao discutidos

Estudo comparativo da lepromino-reacao praticada em estudantes de medicina e em grupo controle. / Comparative study of lepromin reaction performed in medical students and in a control group

Foi praticada a intradermo-reacao com lepromina em um grupo de 64 estudantes de medicina e em um grupo controle de 40 pacientes internados em Clinica Ortopedica.Os dois grupos eram comparaveis quanto a idade e sexo, diferindo fundamentalmente quanto as condicoes economico-sociais. A reacao de Fernandez mostrou resultados positivos muito baixo da expectativa, em ambos os grupos estudados: l0% no primeiro e 5,6% no segundo grupo (diferenca nao significativa entre ambos os grupos). A reacao de Mitsuda mostrou resultados positivos acima da expectativa, no grupo formado por estudantes de medicina (98,4%). Ja no grupo controle esteve dentro do esperado (85,0%). A diferenca entre ambos os grupos foi significativa (X 2/3 = 9,66 significante ao nivel de 5%). Os autores discutem quais os fatores que poderiam ter influido nessa elevada positividade de leprominoreacao em estudantes de medicina