Cell Mediated Immune Response in Leprosy Lesions

• Published in: Japanese journal of leprosy Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 85 - 91
• Main Authors: FUJITA, MAYUMI, MIYACHI, YOSHIKI, IMAMURA, SADAO, IZUMI, SHINZO
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Japanese Leprosy Association 01.04.1989
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; cell-mediated immunity; Erythema Nodosum - immunology; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Immunoenzyme Techniques; immunohistochemistry; leprosy; Leprosy - immunology; Leprosy, Lepromatous - immunology; Leprosy, Tuberculoid - immunology; Male; Middle Aged
• ISSN: 0386-3980; 2185-1360
• DOI: 10.5025/hansen1977.58.85

Five biopsies from 2 leprosy patients, tuberculoid (TT), and polar lepromatous (LLp), were studies using immunoperoxidase procedures with monoclonal antibodies. Immunohi-stochemical patterns of them were remarkably differrent. In a TT patient, epithelioid cells and helper/inducer T (Leu 3a+) cells made the central core of a granuloma surrounded by suppressor/cytotoxic T (T8+) cells and B cells, indicating a possible immune-mediated cell response. The distribution of B cells suggests that not only T but also B cells may take part in the formation of the granuloma. In contrast, helper/inducer cells, suppressor/cyto-toxic cells, and macrophages of a LLp patient were admixed uniformly at the site of the lesion, indicating a poor immune response. Although the ENL skin lesion of this LLp patient did not eliminate the bacilli, HLA-DR expression by keratinocytes and increased numbers of helper/inducer cells found in an ENL lesion, comparable to the findings of TT leprosy, suggests that a cell mediated immune response may play some role in the pathogenesis of ENL reaction.