Levels of Urinary Neopterin in Patients with Lepromatous Leprosy and Patients with Erythema Nodosum Leprosum / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

In lepromatous leprosy, it is generally believed that there is not only defective CMl specific for M. leprae, but also generalized impairment of CMI and in erythema nodosum leprosum, an immune complex-mediated pathogenesis as well cell mediated immune pathogenesis have been proposed. Neopterin is a pyrazinopyrirnidine compound derived from GTP, its raised excretion has been related to activation of T-lymphocyte/macrophage axis. A study was performed to evaluate generalized CMI status in the LL and ENL and to investigate a relationship between levels of urinary neopterin and disease activity. Urinary neopterin was measured by high pressure liquid chromatography in 25 healthy subjects, in 25 patients with LL and in 25 patients with ENL. The results were as follaws 1. Urinary Neopterin levels of patients with LL was 188.9+147.3umol/mol creatinine, which was higher than that of control group(144.8+40.4umol/mol creatinine)(p<0.01). 2. Urinary Neopterin levels of patients with ENL was 884.1+970.5umol/mol creatinine, which was higher than of control group, and patients with LL(p<0.01, p<0.01). 3. Serial measurement of urinary neopterin from 1 week to 13 weeks after treatment of ENL in 4 cases of ENL showed good correlation between urinary neopterin levels and disease activity. In summary, it thus appears that measurement of urine neopterin in leprosy provides generalized CMI status and reliable index for activity of disease.