Cytokine responses in leprosy lesions.
The clinical spectrum of leprosy reflects the diverse nature of human immune responses to Mycobacterium leprae. The clinical presentations correlate with the level of cell-mediated immunity against M. leprae. Cell-mediated immunity, as assessed by the Mitsuda reaction, is positive in tuberculoid patients and negative in lepromatous patients. In contrast, humoral immunity, as assessed by anti-M. leprae antibodies is greatest in lepromatous patients. The inverse correlation between cell-mediated immunity can be explained on the basis of the local cytokine pattern.
Modlin
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Division of Dermatology, UCLA School of Medicine 90095, USA.
D000917:Antibody Formation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines