title: Anti-hapten antibodies and autoantibodies in Japanese patients with lepromatous leprosy.
abstract: In the sera of patients with lepromatous leprosy anti-DNP antibodies were detected in order to determine the mode of polyclonal B-cell activation. Anti-DNP antibodies were found in 30% of the patients with active lepromatous leprosy and in 8% of those with inactive lepromatous leprosy. The level of anti-DNP antibodies in active patients was significantly higher than the level in inactive patients and control. However, the presence of anti-DNP antibodies was unrelated to the production of circulating immune complexes and antinuclear antibodies. These results suggest that polyclonal B-cell activation might occur but that the B-cell clones stimulated by M. leprae are different from patient to patient.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004140:Dinitrophenols / Q000276:immunology; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D004140:Dinitrophenols; D006241:Haptens