Assuntos
Animais , Antígenos de Bactérias/análise , Antígenos de Bactérias/genética , Antígenos de Bactérias/imunologia , Biblioteca Gênica , Clonagem Molecular , DNA Bacteriano/genética , DNA Bacteriano/isolamento & purificação , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Genes Bacterianos , Hanseníase/imunologia , Homologia de Sequência do Ácido Nucleico , Linfócitos T/imunologia , Mapeamento por Restrição , Mycobacterium leprae/genética , Mycobacterium leprae/imunologia , Peso Molecular , Proteínas Recombinantes/análise , Proteínas Recombinantes/imunologia , Proteínas de Choque Térmico/análise , Proteínas de Choque Térmico/genética , Proteínas de Choque Térmico/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Tatus , Western BlottingRESUMO
Leprosy is a spectral disease in which the patients at the lepromatous end display selective immunologic unresponsiveness to antigens of M. leprae. We have previously explored the possibility that the anergy in lepromatous leprosy mediated by suppressor cells. An in vitro system was developed in which lepromin induces suppression of the mitogenic response of lepromatous and borderline but not tuberculoid leprosy patients to concavalin A.
Assuntos
Humanos , Antígeno de Mitsuda/imunologia , Antígenos de Bactérias/administração & dosagem , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/imunologia , Hanseníase/imunologia , Hanseníase/terapia , Imunoterapia , Linfócitos T Reguladores/imunologia , Receptores Fc/genéticaRESUMO
The possibility of an active mechanism of immunologic suppression in leprosy was explored by assessing the in vitro lymphocyte responses of 61 leprosy patients and 30 normal individuals to the mitogen Con A in the presence or absence of Dharmendra lepromin. Lepromin-induced suppression of Con A stimulation was found in 32 of 35 lepromatous patients and 15 of 15 borderline patients, but only 2 of 15 tuberculoid patients and 2 of 30 normal controls. Cell fractionation studies indicated at least two cell populations involved in the in vitro lepromin-induced suppressor activity, adherent cells and T gamma-cells.
Assuntos
Humanos , Adesão Celular , Antígeno de Mitsuda/imunologia , Ativação Linfocitária , Concanavalina A/farmacologia , Formação de Roseta , Hanseníase/imunologia , Imunoglobulina G/imunologia , Linfócitos T Reguladores/imunologia , Linfócitos/classificação , Receptores Fc/imunologiaRESUMO
Guinea pigs immunized with intact or disrupted armadillo-grown human Mycobacterium leprae administered in aqueous or oil vehicles were tested with various dilutions of M. leprae suspended in saline, water-soluble M. leprae extract, purified protein derivative, and a water-soluble extract of normal armadillo tissue. The results demonstrated the following. (i) Under no conditions was any skin test reactivity found to normal armadillo tissue extract. (ii) Positive sensitization to both M. leprae and its water-soluble extract was achieved by sensitizing guinea pigs with M. leprae suspended in Hanks solution or saline. Autoclaved M. leprae in Hanks solution or saline inoculated intradermally was an effective immunogen. Oil suspensions or emulsions were effective at sensitization, but appeared to be no better and, in general, slightly weaker, than simple inoculation in aqueous suspension. (iii) Living BCG failed to reveal a significant adjuvant effect on sensitization to M. leprae. However, cord factor appeared to potentiate slightly the sensitization to M. leprae in aqueous suspension. (iv) The minimum dose required for sensitization with M. leprae in aqueous suspension was 55 micrograms of purified bacilli. (v) Animals inoculated with M. leprae in saline or with M. leprae together with BCG showed positive skin test reactivity to the first skin test application made fully 1 year after the initial sensitization. The efficacy of autoclaved, irradiated M. leprae in aqueous, oil-free medium suggests a relatively safe approach to human vaccination studies.