title: Ultrastructural alterations of mycobacterium leprae in skin biopsies of untreated and treated lepromatous patients.
abstract: 1. -- Mycobacterium leprae cells under a process of progressive disaggregation are present in the skin of both treated and untreated patients. 2. -- The ultrastructural alterations observed during the degenerative process seem to be qualitatively similar in treated and untreated patients. 3. -- The proportion of altered M. leprae cells increases during the treatment, mainly with rifampicin and rifampicin + clofazimine + diaminodiphenyl sulfone. 4. -- The cell wall of M. leprae is the last bacterial structure to disappear during the degenerative process.
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002991:Clofazimine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003622:Dapsone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009940:Organoids / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D003622:Dapsone; D002991:Clofazimine; D012293:Rifampin