Development of a whole blood assay to measure T cell responses to leprosy: a new tool for immuno-epidemiological field studies of leprosy immunity.
A whole blood assay is described to measure T cell mediated immune responses to leprosy and provide an alternative to the conventional lymphocyte transformation test. Optimal conditions were defined for the whole blood assay, and interferon-gamma measurement was found to be a more sensitive way of measuring responses than tritiated thymidine incorporation. The assay was shown to be useful for investigating responses to a range of leprosy antigens. A whole blood assay has the advantages of being quick, simple and requiring only a small volume of blood, making it more appropriate as an immuno-epidemiological field test in leprosy endemic areas.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
R E
RE
Weir
A R
AR
Morgan
W J
WJ
Britton
C R
CR
Butlin
H M
HM
Dockrell
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014373:Tuberculin
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D014373:Tuberculin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013936:Thymidine