title: A follow up of T-cell subsets and of anti-M. leprae antibody titer as measured by the FLA-ABS test in Melanesian leprosy patients under polychemotherapy.
abstract: Melanesian leprosy patients from New Caledonia were studied for the following parameters during the course of polychemotherapy: peripheral blood T-cell subsets, as identified in an immunofluorescence assay with monoclonal antibodies OKT3 ("pan-T"), OKT4 ("helper/inducer"), and OKT8 ("cytotoxic-suppressor"), and anti-Mycobacterium leprae antibodies in the serum, as measured by the fluorescent leprosy antibody absorption test. A group of Melanesian healthy subjects with no known exposure to M. leprae served as controls. Healthy contacts of leprosy patients were also studied for the presence of anti-M. leprae antibodies. Untreated, nonreactional lepromatous patients displayed moderate but significant T-cell abnormalities, consisting of a decrease in the percentage of OKT3+ and OKT4+ cells with a decrease in the OKT4:OKT8 ratio. These abnormalities disappeared within nine months of treatment. A transient decrease in the percentage of OKT8+ cells with an increase in the OKT4:OKT8 ratio was seen in patients suffering erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). Tuberculoid patients, whether treated or not, did not show any T-cell marker disturbances. Positive serological tests for anti-M. leprae antibodies were found in 100% of lepromatous patients, 92% of tuberculoid patients, and 56% of healthy contacts. No significant decline in the antibody titer was observed with treatment during the survey period.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002991:Clofazimine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003622:Dapsone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D005000:Ethionamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D009510:New Caledonia; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D003622:Dapsone; D002991:Clofazimine; D005000:Ethionamide; D012293:Rifampin