We have examined the capacity of monocytes from patients with leprosy to undergo activation and the capacity of mononuclear cells from these patients to incorporate [3H]thymidine and produce monocyte-activating cytokines. Monocytes from patients with either lepromatous or tuberculoid leprosy were activated by concanavalin A (Con A)-induced mononuclear cell supernatants generated from the leukoc...

Genetically determined differences in immune responses to environmental agents may underlie susceptibility to many autoimmune and infectious diseases. Leprosy provides an example of a polarity in the type of immune response made to an infectious agent, and there is evidence that the major histocompatibility complex is genetically linked to leprosy type. It was found that HLA-DR2 is associated w...

About 1,200 million viable lymphocytes from normal but lepromin- and tuberculin-positive human beings were transfused in four patients of lepromatous and one of tuberculoid leprosy three times at monthly intervals. Three patients of lepromatous leprosy suffered from erythema modosum, whereas the other two developed severe reaction whenever put on the smallest dose of dapsone. In one patient of ...

This paper presents cytomorphological features of the histoid variety of lepromatous leprosy. Fine needle aspiration of a lepromatous nodule showed cytological features consistent with those of histoid leprosy. Simultaneously, a biopsy of the nodule was also performed and the case confirmed as histoid leprosy. The advantages of the fine needle aspiration technique are that it is simple, quickly...

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay, applying whole Mycobacterium leprae as antigen and radiolabeled protein A from Staphylococcus aureus as antibody-detecting reagent, was used for the determination of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibody responses in leprosy patients. High IgG anti-M. leprae antibody levels were found in lepromatous leprosy patients, whereas the antibody response in tu...

leprosy is an ancient deforming disease caused by mycobacterium leprae, which is still poorly understood and often feared by the general public and even by some in the health care professions fortunately, the outlook for patients has dramatically improved over the last three decades with the introduction of multi-drug treatment and management strategies that have somewhat diminished the stigma ...

Over 100 patients with lepromatous leprosy were treated with rifampicin in a series of pilot, uncontrolled, and controlled trials in 1968-77. The rapid bactericidal effect of rifampicin on Mycobacterium leprae was confirmed. Clinical improvement became apparent sometimes as early as 14 days after the start of treatment. Nevertheless, a few persisting viable M leprae were detected as long as fiv...

A 46 year old Asian male with previously treated lepromatous leprosy developed a stepwise multifocal sensory disturbance 25 years later. Neurophysiology demonstrated marked deterioration from previous studies. Sural nerve biopsy disclosed a vasculitic process superimposed on inactive lepromatous leprosy. Immunocytochemical stains for mycobacterial antigen showed deposits within nerve and vessel...

The generation of cell-mediated immunity against intracellular infection involves the production of IL-12, a critical cytokine required for the development of Th1 responses. The biologic activities of IL-12 are mediated through a specific, high affinity IL-12R composed of an IL-12Rbeta1/IL-12Rbeta2 heterodimer, with the IL-12Rbeta2 chain involved in signaling via Stat4. We investigated IL-12R e...