Depression of tuberculin reaction in mild and moderate protein-calorie malnourished children following BCG vaccination.

Following BCG vaccination, mild to moderate protein-calorie malnourished children of the marasmic type were tuberculin tested with two types of tuberculin. The indurations of these malnourished children were compared to those of a similarly treated cohort of well-nourished controls. A large group of children who were initially malnourished became well-nourished over the time interval between BCG vaccination and tuberculin testing and these children were compared to the other two cohorts. A significant difference was found between the indurations of the malnourished and the well-nourished. The group which changed nutritional status had an average induration between that of the other two groups. Feeding for two days with a high protein-calorie mixture did not significantly increase the indurations of the malnourished. Supplementation with vitamin A had no discernible effect.