Defect in the generation of cytotoxic T cells in lepromatous leprosy.
Cytotoxic T cells are consistently produced in normal individuals after in vitro stimulation by a pool of mitomycin-treated normal lymphocytes. Patients suffering from lepromatous leprosy (LL), presenting with large amounts of Mycobacterium leprae and without a history of erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) are unable to generate such cytotoxic T cells, while lepromatous patients with ENL which, in the present study were all deprived of M. leprae, react normally.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*