Cross reactive mycobacteria and recombinant antigens restore the invitro response of lepromatous T cells to M. leprae antigen

ABSTRACT

A large number of studies conducted in the past have shown that T cells from lepromatous leprosy patients are specifically anergic to M. leprae antigens in cell mediated immunity assays. In this study, we demonstrate the existence of M. leprae reactive T cells in lepromatous patients by either enriching them with the antigens of crossreactive mycobacteria or testing them with isolated recombinant antigens of M. leprae. Our results confirm the notion that regulatory mechanisms may contribute to the nonresponsiveness of lepromatous T cells to M. leprae antigens