ABSTRACT
The immunological competence of eleven patients with undetermined leprosy was compared with that of ten normal volunteers of the same age and sex distribution; these controls have not had previous contact with leprosy. The following parameters were studied in peripheral blood cells: 1) percentage of lymphocyte bearing surface immunoglobulins, as revealed by immunofluorescence; 2) percentage of lymphocyte bearing complement receptors, as studied by antibody and complement coated erithrocyte rosetting; 3) percentage of T cells, as revealed by spontaneous sheep erithrocyte rosettes; 4) blastogenic and mytogenic response of cultured lymphocytes to PHA and 5) cell migration inhibition test using lepromine (80 x 10(6) bacilli/ml) as antigen. Skin reactions to lepromine were also assayed. In the six lepromine-positive patients with undetermined leprosy, no major immunological alterations could be detected. On the contrary, the five lepromine-negative patients showed important alterations which could well be considered as precursors of lepromatous leprosy.
Subject(s)
Immunity , Leprosy/immunology , Adult , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The immunological competence of eleven patients with undetermined leprosy was compared with that of ten normal volunteers of the same age and sex distribution; these controls have not had previous contact with leprosy. The following parameters were studied in peripheral blood cells: 1) percentage of lymphocyte bearing surface immunoglobulins, as revealed by immunofluorescence; 2) percentage of lymphocyte bearing complement receptors, as studied by antibody and complement coated erithrocyte rosetting; 3) percentage of T cells, as revealed by spontaneous sheep erithrocyte rosettes; 4) blastogenic and mytogenic response of cultured lymphocytes to PHA and 5) cell migration inhibition test using lepromine (80 x 10(6) bacilli/ml) as antigen. Skin reactions to lepromine were also assayed. In the six lepromine-positive patients with undetermined leprosy, no major immunological alterations could be detected. On the contrary, the five lepromine-negative patients showed important alterations which could well be considered as precursors of lepromatous leprosy.
ABSTRACT
The immunological competence of eleven patients with undetermined leprosy was compared with that of ten normal volunteers of the same age and sex distribution; these controls have not had previous contact with leprosy. The following parameters were studied in peripheral blood cells: 1) percentage of lymphocyte bearing surface immunoglobulins, as revealed by immunofluorescence; 2) percentage of lymphocyte bearing complement receptors, as studied by antibody and complement coated erithrocyte rosetting; 3) percentage of T cells, as revealed by spontaneous sheep erithrocyte rosettes; 4) blastogenic and mytogenic response of cultured lymphocytes to PHA and 5) cell migration inhibition test using lepromine (80 x 10(6) bacilli/ml) as antigen. Skin reactions to lepromine were also assayed. In the six lepromine-positive patients with undetermined leprosy, no major immunological alterations could be detected. On the contrary, the five lepromine-negative patients showed important alterations which could well be considered as precursors of lepromatous leprosy.
