Studies on the Allergenicity of Various Tuberculoprotein Derivatives and the Adjuvanticity of Wax D Fractions of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis1, 2, 3

The allergenicity of tuberculin-active peptide, bis-diazotized benzidine tuberculin-active peptide, and purified protein derivative (PPD-S) was studied in guinea pigs. Two types of adjuvant-active subfractions were obtained from acetylated wax D; neither had the ability to induce tuberculin hypersensitivity. Tuberculin active peptide alone or in combination with an adjuvant-active subfraction of wax D did not induce tuberculin allergy, nor was the allergenicity of tuberculin active peptide restored by coupling with bis-diazo benzidine. One tenth mg of PPD-S did not induce tuberculin allergy whereas the same dose of PPD-S plus adjuvant-active wax D showed marked activity in the production of tuberculin hypersensitivity.