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Evidence that the Mechanism of Immunological Tolerance (‘Central Failure’) Is Operative in the Lack of Host Resistance in Lepromatous Leprosy
Author(s) -
GODAL T.,
MYRVANG B.,
FROLAND S. S.,
SHAO J.,
MELAKU G.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1972.tb03296.x
Subject(s) - lepromatous leprosy , leprosy , immunology , mycobacterium leprae , antigen , pathogenesis , immune system , mechanism (biology) , transformation (genetics) , medicine , biology , gene , philosophy , epistemology , biochemistry
The cellular immune defect in lepromatous leprosy has been studied. The following observations have been made: 1) Three lepromatous patients who had been on anti‐leprosy treatment for more than 10 years still failed to respond to M. leprae by lymphocyte transformation (mean 0.2%) while they responded strongly to BCG (mean 34.2%) and PPD (mean 56.1%). 2) Lepromatous serum failed to inhibit M. leprae ‐induced lymphocyte transformation and M. leprae ‐induced leukocyte migration inhibition. 3) Lepromatous lymphocytes revealed a reduced capacity to attach M. leprae to their surface. The only experimental condition compatible with the observed characteristics would seem to be a state of immunological tolerance to an antigen (or antigens) of M. leprae. The lasting nature of this non‐responsive state suggests that it plays a primary role in the pathogenesis of lepromatous leprosy.