1 Sea View Hospital, Staten Island, New York
The literature contains several references regarding the effects of steroid hormones on the tuberculin reaction. In most cases, the investigations were carried out on adults or animals. Only isolated references to work on children have been reported. Harris and Harris reported a suppression of the tuberculin reaction in rabbits and guinea pigs who were first given cortisone. These authors concluded : "The data presented here indicate that cortisone can suppress the manifestations of some of the reactions of hypersensitivity."
Cummings and Hudgins showed that the administration of cortisone to a group of guinea pigs sensitized to tuberculin with a heat-killed human strain of tubercle bacilli did not influence the passive transfer of tuberculin sensitivity.