title: [Study of T lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with leprosy, using incubation with theophylline].
abstract: T cells and the theophylline resistant cells (the-r, helper cells) in peripheral blood of patients with different forms of leprosy were studied. Active lepromatous patients (LL+) showed a significant decrease in T lymphocytes and the-r cells. Nevertheless, in LL+ developing a reactional episode of erythema nodosum (LL-ENL) a restoration in the level of the-r cells was observed. It is concluded that in LL+ patients the depression of T cells and the-r cells represents an imbalance in the T-T cellular cooperation with a defective cellular immune response. On the other hand, the recovery of the-r cells in LL-ENL support the hypothesis of a cell mediated immune mechanism in the immunopathology of this reactional episode.
authors.affiliation: División Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bottasso
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amerio
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Morini
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013806:Theophylline
chemical_list: D013806:Theophylline
vernacular_title: Estudio de subpoblaciones de linfocitos T en pacientes con lepra, mediante la incubación con teofilina.