BCG treatment of Crohn's disease

Among 53 patients with documented Crohn's disease, 30% manifested a defect in delayed hypersensitivity demonstrated by negative DNCB skin tests and significant (p less than 0.01) T-lymphocyte hyporeactivity. A double-blind controlled trial was conducted to evaluate oral Bacillus Calmette-Guerin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American journal of gastroenterology Vol. 71; no. 2; p. 196
Main Authors Rahban, S, Sherman, J H, Opelz, G, Conley, D R, Panish, J F, Marks, J W, Terasaki, P I, Schoenfield, L J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.02.1979
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
BCG Vaccine - administration & dosage
Clinical Trials as Topic
Crohn Disease - immunology
Crohn Disease - therapy
Dinitrochlorobenzene
Double-Blind Method
Female
Humans
Immunity, Cellular
Male
Middle Aged
Skin Tests
T-Lymphocytes - immunology
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Summary:Among 53 patients with documented Crohn's disease, 30% manifested a defect in delayed hypersensitivity demonstrated by negative DNCB skin tests and significant (p less than 0.01) T-lymphocyte hyporeactivity. A double-blind controlled trial was conducted to evaluate oral Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy in nine of these patients with Crohn's disease and deficient cellular immunity. All patients had a Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) greater than 150 (at least moderate activity) upon randomization to BCG (five patients) or placebo (four patients) treatment for six to 12 months. No significicant differences between BCG and placebo treatment were found in the CDAI, laboratory tests and gastrointestinal roentgenograms. We conclude that the disturbance in cell-mediated immunity in patients with Crohn's disease probably is a manifestation of the disease rather than an etiological factor and that immunostimulation with oral BCG is not effective therapy.
ISSN:0002-9270
DOI:10.1111/j.1572-0241.1979.tb04659.x