Immunological changes observed in indeterminate and lepromatous leprosy patients and Mitsuda-negative contacts after the inoculation of a mixture of Mycobacterium leprae and BCG. 1979

J Convit, and N Aranzazu, and M Pinardi, and M Ulrich

This investigation was carried out to study the possibility of eliciting favourable immunological changes in small groups of Mitsuda-negative patients with indeterminate leprosy, lepromatous patients who were bacteriologically negative after prolonged treatment with sulphones, and in Mitsuda-negative contacts by means of stimulation with a mixture of autoclaved tissues from Mycobacterium leprae-infected armadillos and living BCG. A radical change was observed in the specific immunological activity of the indeterminate group, all of whom initially had occasional bacilli in cutaneous nerves in biopsies taken from hypopigmented spots, and in the persistently Mitsuda-negative contacts. The 48 hr and 30 day reactions to lepromin, the 48 hr reaction to supernatant antigen from lepromin, the test for bacillary clearence and in vitro lymphocyte transformation (LTT) to M. leprae from human and armadillo lesions all became positive. Of the lepromatous patients studied, only one became positive to all the criteria mentioned above. In the others, the 48 hr reaction to supernatant antigen, the LTT to antigen from a humn source, and the clearance test remained negative, while the Fernandez and Mitsuda reactions became positive. These results are discussed in terms of the possible use of this stimulation procedure in the prevention and immunotherapy of leprosy.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007916 Lepromin
D007918 Leprosy A chronic granulomatous infection caused by MYCOBACTERIUM LEPRAE. The granulomatous lesions are manifested in the skin, the mucous membranes, and the peripheral nerves. Two polar or principal types are lepromatous and tuberculoid. Hansen's Disease,Hansen Disease
D008213 Lymphocyte Activation Morphologic alteration of small B LYMPHOCYTES or T LYMPHOCYTES in culture into large blast-like cells able to synthesize DNA and RNA and to divide mitotically. It is induced by INTERLEUKINS; MITOGENS such as PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININS, and by specific ANTIGENS. It may also occur in vivo as in GRAFT REJECTION. Blast Transformation,Blastogenesis,Lymphoblast Transformation,Lymphocyte Stimulation,Lymphocyte Transformation,Transformation, Blast,Transformation, Lymphoblast,Transformation, Lymphocyte,Activation, Lymphocyte,Stimulation, Lymphocyte
D009166 Mycobacterium leprae A species of gram-positive, aerobic bacteria that causes LEPROSY in man. Its organisms are generally arranged in clumps, rounded masses, or in groups of bacilli side by side.
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000942 Antigens, Bacterial Substances elaborated by bacteria that have antigenic activity. Bacterial Antigen,Bacterial Antigens,Antigen, Bacterial
D001135 Armadillos Burrowing, chiefly nocturnal mammals of the family Dasypodidae having bodies and heads encased in small bony plates. They are widely distributed in the warmer parts of the Americas. Armadillo

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