title: Leukocyte subsets in the granulomatous response produced after inoculation with Mycobacterium leprae-BCG in lepromatous patients.
abstract: Leukocyte subsets present in the granulomatous response produced after the inoculation of a mixture of Mycobacterium leprae and BCG in lepromatous leprosy patients were characterized in situ using monoclonal antibodies and an immunoperoxidase technique. The granuloma produced after M. leprae-BCG inoculation showed a distribution pattern similar to tuberculoid granulomas. T lymphocytes bearing the CD8 phenotype (T cytotoxic/suppressor) were sequestered to the periphery of the epithelioid tubercles and T helper-inducer CD4+ lymphocytes were distributed throughout the infiltrate. Langerhans cells CD1+ were increased in the epidermis, and in dermis they were localized mainly in the mantle surrounding the granuloma. Most of the dermal infiltrate produced after the inoculation or M. leprae-BCG expresses the HLA-DR antigen. Similarly, most keratinocytes were also positive to this MHC antigen. The granulomatous response to BCG was similar to the inoculation of a mixture of M. leprae-BCG, however acid-fast bacilla were still present. The inoculation of M. leprae produced a macrophage granuloma with no clearing of the bacilla which resembles the lepromatous leprosy granuloma.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biomedicina, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Tapia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aranzazu
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gallinoto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Convit
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000276:immunology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal