title: Lymphoproliferative responses of leprosy patients and healthy controls to nitrocellulose-bound M. leprae antigens.
abstract: The lymphoproliferative responses of 51 leprosy patients and 11 healthy contacts were analyzed using the nitrocellulose-bound specific antigen fractions from the cell-free extract of Mycobacterium leprae. The main proliferation-inducing fraction for peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the healthy contacts was found to be the Fraction II, bearing antigens in the range of 66-45 kDa. However, this fraction failed to induce lymphoproliferation in the leprosy patients, unlike healthy contacts (p < 0.032). The number of responders as well as the strength of the responses to 66-45 kDa proteins were found to be low in the leprosy patients compared to the healthy contacts. Further, preliminary analysis with the subfractions of Fraction II produced a similar pattern, suggesting that the immune response to the antigens in the range of 66-45 kDa M. leprae proteins remains suppressed in subjects with clinical signs and symptoms of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Human Genetics Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sachdeva
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Bhutani
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Bamezai
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003101:Collodion; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007918:Leprosy / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D003101:Collodion