Background. Leprosy is a chronic granulomatous disease, caused by Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae), principally affecting peripheral nerves and skin. To date, the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in different types of leprosy has not been studied, except for their role in neuropathy. Objective. to investigate the changes in expression and distribution of MMP-3 and MMP-9 in biopsies take...

The incidences of various iso- and autoantibodies in a random population of 112 unselected leprosy patients is presented. Low titers of leucocytic isoantibodies and platelet aggregating factor were detected in the sera of a variable number of such patients. The leucoisoagglutinins were found in 8% of the sera of tuberculoid as well as lepromatous leprosy patients, whereas the leucoisocytotoxins...

Mycobacterium leprae cell wall-associated components are found in large amounts in the tissues of leprosy patients, particularly those at the lepromatous pole. Among these molecules, the phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I), unique to M. leprae, has been involved in the selective anergy observed in the lepromatous patients. Armadillo-derived M. leprae retains only a small proportion of the total PGL-I...

While u nder treatment with'dapso ne for lepromatous leprosy , a 5 0-year-old male Greek Cypriot presented with multiple widespread lesions of a bizarre type, many of them freely ulceTating. Iinically and histologically, peripheral nerves were little affected, but biopsy s mples of skin and ulcers contained enormous numbers of leprosy bacilli. M ouse footpad inoculation of the bacilli from skin...

histoid leprosy (hl) is a rare variant of lepromatous leprosy, occurring in long-standing cases, mostly in a background of acquired drug resistance. patients usually present with sudden onset multiple nodules and plaques, most often involving the skin and subcutaneous tissue of trunk and lower limbs. here we report an unusual case of de novo (without any history of prior anti-leprotic therapy) ...

This study was performed in order to analyse whether the immune unresponsiveness to Mycobacterium leprae, largely seen in lepromatous patients, persisted after discharge from treatment. Lymphoproliferation and skin tests were performed using two mycobacterial antigens (M. leprae and BCG) in three groups of lepromatous patients grouped by treatment status. Forty-seven per cent of the lepromatous...

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...