title: Lymphocyte proliferation, IFN-gamma production and limiting dilution analysis of T-cell responses to ICRC and Mycobacterium leprae antigens in leprosy patients.
abstract: Lymphocyte proliferative responses and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production after stimulation with antigens of ICRC, Mycobacterium leprae, and purified protein derivative (PPD) were assessed in leprosy patients and healthy donors. The patients studied were newly diagnosed as having lepromatous leprosy (LL), multidrug therapy (MDT) responders (MDT-R LL), MDT nonresponders (MDT-NR LL), borderline lepromatous (BL), and borderline tuberculoid/tuberculoid (BT/TT) leprosy. The tuberculoid leprosy patients showed increased lymphocyte proliferation and IFN-gamma production in response to stimulation with ICRC, M. leprae, and PPD antigens compared to other groups of LL patients and healthy donors. Although lymphocytes from LL patients showed low responses to ICRC and M. leprae antigens, their responses to PPD were not grossly affected. MDT-R LL patients showed higher lymphocyte proliferative responses and IFN-gamma production after stimulation with ICRC and PPD but not with M. leprae antigens. Tuberculoid leprosy patients showed higher T-cell frequencies to ICRC and M. leprae antigens compared to MDT-R LL and MDT-NR LL patients. The increased lymphocyte proliferative responses to ICRC observed in the MDT-R LL patients was reflected in the increased T-cell frequency to ICRC compared to M. leprae.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Division, Tata Memorial Center, Parel, Bombay, India.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shinde
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Chiplunkar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Butlin
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Deo
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Gangal
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D014373:Tuberculin; C060596:anti-leprosy vaccine; D007371:Interferon-gamma