title: Concanavalin A induced suppressor activity in human leprosy.
abstract: Peripheral blood lymphocytes from nine normal subjects and 40 patients with leprosy were pretreated in vitro with Concanavalin A (Con A). Cells from normal subjects pretreated for 24 hours showed consistent and effective generation of suppressive activity which inhibited mitogen induced transformation of autologous lymphocytes. Prolongation of Con A pretreatment to 40 hours resulted in maximal suppressive activity. Tuberculoid leprosy patients had lymphocytes in their blood which on 24 hour pretreatment with Con A exerted suppressive effects markedly greater than the maximal suppression noted with 40 hour pretreated normal lymphocytes. In contrast, untreated patients with polar lepromatous leprosy showed a decrease in suppressive activity which could not be altered by prolongation of Con A pretreatment: the loss of suppressive activity noted in this form of leprosy was restored during erythema nodosum leprosum.
mesh_terms: D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D008937:Mitomycins; D003208:Concanavalin A