ABSTRACT
Thirty lepromatous (BL-LL) and 25 tuberculoid (TT-BT) nerve lesions obtained from untreated cases of leprosy were scanned using transmission electron microscope for assessing the bacterial load in different cell types. Major bulk of infection was seen in the Schwann cells of nonmyelinated fibres, in both early lepromatous and tuberculoid nerve lesions, suggesting that M. leprae spread mainly via the Schwann cells within the nerve.
Subject(s)
Colony Count, Microbial , Humans , Leprosy, Lepromatous/microbiology , Leprosy, Tuberculoid/microbiology , Microscopy, Electron , Mycobacterium leprae/isolation & purification , Nerve Fibers/microbiologyABSTRACT
Cultivation trials for Mycobacterium leprae resulted in growth of Mycobacterium psychrophilum (L). Media were inoculated with host grown Mycobacterium leprae cells from armadillo tissues, Nu mice foot pads or human lepromata. Cultures were obtained in liquid and on semisolid multifactoria 1 media containing water soluble palmitic acid or its salts. Ammonium thioglycolate and Napalmitate served as carbon and energy sources. The water soluble palmitic acid remained in perfect solution following sterilization in the autoclave, thus easily accessible to the cells. The cyclodextrin-Fe complex served as a siderophore to grow the obtained leprosy derived psychrophilic cells. The leprosy derived cultures and subcultures grew opimally at+10 degrees Celssius but deteriorated rapidly at + 32 degrees Celsius, in the multifactorial media. No growth occurred in 7H9 media. Cultures were not identified for classification.
Subject(s)
Humans , Animals , Mice , Leprosy/microbiology , Mycobacterium leprae/isolation & purification , Mycobacterium/growth & development , Palmitic Acids , Culture Media , Leprosy, Tuberculoid/microbiology , Leprosy, Lepromatous/microbiology , Mycobacterium avium/growth & development , Mycobacterium avium/isolation & purification , Mycobacterium leprae/growth & development , Mycobacterium phlei/growth & development , Mycobacterium phlei/isolation & purification , Mycobacterium scrofulaceum/growth & development , Mycobacterium scrofulaceum/isolation & purification , Mycobacterium/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
En 30 enfermos de lepra se obtuvieron los datos de daño ocular mediante biomicroscopias y se practicaron biopsias del fondo de saco conjuntival. El objetivo fue establecer una correlación clínico-bacteriológica entre la biopsia conjuntival con la baciloscopia, la clasificación y la evolución de la enfermedad. Las lesiones oculares predominantes fueron la madarosis y el engrosamiento de los nervios corneanos. No se encontró ningún caso de ceguera. La concordancia fue del 46.6 por ciento en un total de 6 biopsias conjuntivales positivas.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Conjunctiva/microbiology , Leprosy, Lepromatous/microbiology , Mycobacterium leprae/isolation & purification , Biopsy , Leprosy, Borderline/microbiology , Leprosy, Tuberculoid/microbiology , MexicoABSTRACT
In an attempt to produce experimental tuberculoid leprosy, three nine-banded armadillos, two with borderline tuberculoid lepromin reaction, and one with tuberculoid lepromin reaction, were chosen. They were injected subcutaneously in a four square centimetre area in the abdominal skin with saline suspension of 6.5 x 10(7) M. leprae. Induration of skin at the injected site appeared in 24 hours and persisted for 6 months in one and for 18 months in the other two animals. Histopathological examination of the infected site at 6 weeks, 18 and 20 months showed progressively decreasing granulomatous inflammation; but the cutaneous nerves were uninvolved. Autopsy examination of the three animals failed to show disseminated disease. Since there was no evidence of nerve involvement, experimental transmission of tuberculoid leprosy to armadillos could not be established in this study.