Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia and Progressive Vaccinia in Siblings

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Abstract
P. carinii infection of the lung and progressive vaccinia are described in siblings. In the boy with progressive vaccinia the serum gamma globulin level was within the normal range, but vaccinial neutralizing antibody was not detected. Treatment of the progressive vaccinia case with the drug N-methylisatin [beta]-thiosemicarbazone and with post-vaccinial and ordinary gamma globulin was ineffective. At autopsy in both, failure of maturation of lymphocytes from reticulum cells was found and thymic tissue was apparently absent in one of them. The immunological implications of these findings are discussed.