ABSTRACT
Antibody (IgM) response to PGL-1, a surface glycolipid unique to Mycobacterium leprae has been studied in 25 cases each of lepromatous and tuberculoid leprosy and in 25 healthy controls. The absorbance value at 488 nm was expressed as antibody titre. Serum antibody titre was found to be significantly higher in patients than controls. Results confirm that antibody response in leprosy patients depend upon bacterial load.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , Antigens, Bacterial/immunology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Glycolipids/immunology , Humans , Immunoglobulin M/immunology , Mycobacterium leprae/immunologyABSTRACT
Activity of the enzyme-gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) was measured in sera of 20 patients each of paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy and 20 healthy controls. None of the subjects had any systemic or hepatic disease and none had taken any hepatotoxic or antileprotic drugs in the past 3 months. Mean values in the paucibacillary group (38.62 +/- 1.99 U/L) and in the multibacillary group (59.04 +/- 3.13 U/L) were significantly higher compared to that in controls (32.04 +/- 0.66 U/L). Mean value in the multibacillary group was also significantly higher compared to that in the paucibacillary group.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Female , Humans , Leprosy/enzymology , Leprosy, Borderline/enzymology , Leprosy, Lepromatous/enzymology , Leprosy, Tuberculoid/enzymology , Liver/enzymology , Male , Middle Aged , gamma-Glutamyltransferase/bloodABSTRACT
Seventy-two cases of multibacillary leprosy were investigated for cytomorphological changes and presence of lepra bacilli in bone marrow. These patients were divided in two groups. Group A (28) comprised of new cases and group B (44) of those receiving treatment. Myeloid hyperplasia was mostly seen in patients of group B who had erythema nodosum leprosum. Megaloblastic change in erythroblasts was seen frequently in both the groups. While average number of plasma cells and macrophages was on the higher side of normal range, detection of large number of plasma cells underlined enhanced humoral response and created diagnostic problem with multiple myeloma. Morphological changes in the macrophages, their collections and epithelioid cell granulomas were observed in bone marrow. Their nature and significance is discussed.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Bone Marrow/microbiology , Erythema Nodosum/pathology , Humans , Hyperplasia , Leprosy, Lepromatous/pathology , Macrophages/pathology , Middle Aged , Plasma Cells/pathologyABSTRACT
Two cases of lepromatous leprosy with erythema nodosum leprosum who were on high doses of clofazimine, showed discoloration of nail plate, subungual hyperkeratosis and onycholysis. These nail changes gradually disappeared when the dose of clofazimine was reduced.
Subject(s)
Clofazimine/adverse effects , Humans , Leprosy, Lepromatous/drug therapy , Nail Diseases/chemically induced , Skin Diseases/chemically inducedABSTRACT
Fifty patients (24 new and 26 receiving specific treatment) of leprosy were investigated to study the concentration and morphological index (MI) of the lepra bacilli in skin, peripheral blood and bone marrow. The organisms were detected in 28 cases on skin slit smear examination, in 38 cases on bone marrow examination and in 38 cases on examination of smears made from buffy coat of peripheral blood. Out of 22 cases negative for the bacilli on skin slit smears, 15 had the organisms either in buffy coat or bone marrow or both. Acid fast bacilli in peripheral blood and bone marrow with skin smear negativity were mainly observed in patients with paucibacillary type of the disease and in those who were receiving treatment. Examination of buffy coat and bone marrow for presence of lepra bacilli is suggested to establish the diagnosis in doubtful cases.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow/microbiology , Humans , Leprosy/microbiology , Leukocytes/microbiology , Mycobacterium leprae/isolation & purification , Skin/microbiologyABSTRACT
A case of lepromatous leprosy with erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) presenting as a myeloid leukemoid reaction is reported. Very high leucocyte count with immaturity of the cells in myeloid series was present in peripheral blood. High leucocyte alkaline phosphatase score, absence of hepatosplenomegaly and transient nature of leukemoid reaction differentiated it from chronic myeloid leukemia and acute myeloblastic leukemia. The possible mechanisms of leukemoid reaction in ENL are discussed.
Subject(s)
Adult , Clofazimine/administration & dosage , Erythema Nodosum/complications , Ferritins/blood , Humans , Leprosy, Lepromatous/complications , Leukemoid Reaction/etiology , Male , Prednisolone/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity was studied in 25 patients having different types of leprosy and 25 healthy volunteer as control. There was definite rise of ADA activity in BL (72.9 +/- 6.85), LL (56.7 +/- 3.35) and BT (39.1 +/- 8.28) which was statistically significant when compared to ADA activity in healthy control (9.7 +/- 0.53).