title: Immunological defect in leprosy patients: altered T-lymphocyte signals.
abstract: The early events of activation were studied in paucibacillary (TT/BT) and multibacillary (BL/LL) leprosy patients by stimulation of their lymphocytes with mitogenic agents (calcium ionophore A23187/PMA) and Micobacterium leprae antigen (PGL-1). Maximum proliferation in response to PMA/A23187 and PGL-1 was observed in the BT/TT patients and the control group, respectively. Inositol triphosphate (IP3) and calcium were constitutively elevated in BT/TT and LL/BL patients. PMA/A23187 caused an increase in both IP3 and [Ca2+]i in BT/TT patients and controls. PGL-1 marginally increased IP3 levels in BT/TT patients. In the LL/BL patients, although PMA/A23187 increased IP3 levels, but no change was seen in [Ca2+]i, PGL-1 had no effect. Protein kinase C levels were seen to be associated with particulate fractions in BT/TT patients and were found to increase further in response to PMA/A23187. PGL-1 did not increase translocation of protein kinase C in controls or LL/BL patients. A preactivated and sensitised state of T-lymphocytes was observed in BT/TT patients, responsive to antigen and mitogens, whereas the cells of LL/BL patients were unresponsive to PGL-1. The altered signal transduction events characterised in the MB patients thus correlate well with the anergic state of their cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Ganguly
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007295:Inositol Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D007424:Intracellular Fluid; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007295:Inositol Phosphates; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D002118:Calcium