Light chain proteinuria and cellular mediated immunity in rifampin treated patients with tuberculosis.

Light chain proteinuria was found in 9 of 17 tuberculosis patients treated with rifampin. Concomitant assay of cellular mediated immunity in these patients using skin test antigen and a lymphokine in vitro test provided results that were different. Response to Varidase skin test antigen was negative for all eight tuberculosis patients tested, but there occurred a hyper-responsiveness of the lymphocytes of these eight patients to phytomitogen (PHA-P). as well as of those of seven other tuberculous patients. This last finding may be related to time of testing and/or endogenous serum binding of rifampin which could have inhibited mitogen activity for the lymphocyte.