[Measurement of the intradermal reaction to PPD in chronic hepatitis and in cirrhosis. Basic research].

Personal experience on the PPD-test in 154 patients with chronic liver disease is reported. The results show a frequent hyperergic response. The comparison with a similar group of patients previously studied in the same Clinic employing the old tubercolin shows the advantages of PPD in discriminating the differential degrees of reactivitty. The hyperergic response is important not only from a theoretical point of view, confirming the presence of an abnormal immunologic equilibrium in chronic liver diseases, but it may also be of therapeutic relevance particularly in the cases where the result of the test is strong exceedingly strong.