[Antituberculosis immunity in adult thymectomized mice].

Thymectomy performed in adult animals 6 months and more before the inoculation of mycobacteria H37Rv reduced the resistance to tuberculosis infection considerably. This reduction was the greater, the more time passed after the operation. There also developed immunity disturbances mainly connected with the damage of the thymus-dependent cells (depletion of thymus-dependent zones, reduction of tuberculin sensitivity of the skin and of the cytotoxic effect of lymphocytes on antigen-containing target cells).