Superoxide production from macrophages of leprosy patients after stimulation with Mycobacterium leprae.

ABSTRACT

The macrophages from peripheral blood of normal healthy individuals respond to live or killed Mycobacterium leprae by producing superoxide. On the other hand, the macrophages from bacteriologically positive (B + LL) or long term treated bacteriologically negative (B – LL) and tuberculoid leprosy patients are unable to produce superoxide when stimulated with live Mycobacterium leprae. While killed Mycobacterium leprae induce superoxide with the cells from tuberculoid and B(–)LL patients, cells from B(+)LL patients fail to respond. The deficiency in B(–)LL patients to produce superoxide appears to be specific with Mycobacterium leprae and the defect can be counteracted by the addition of colchicine. These observations indicate a preexisting membrane disposition which does not favour superoxide production. A similar situation is seen in the cells from tuberculoid leprosy patients. Thus it appears that both cured and active lepromatous leprosy patients have defective macrophages, unable to respond to live Mycobacterium leprae to produce superoxide anion, in contrast to the situation with the cells from normal healthy individuals.