title: [Cell mediated immune response in leprosy lesions].
abstract: Five biopsies from 2 leprosy patients, tuberculoid (TT), and polar lepromatous (LLp), were studies using immunoperoxidase procedures with monoclonal antibodies. Immunohistochemical patterns of them were remarkably different. 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/cytotoxic 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.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyachi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imamura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000276:immunology; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged