title: Clinical, immunological and histological aspects of an uncommon type II reaction in patients with lepromatous leprosy.
abstract: This study reports three cases of an unusual leprotic reaction characterized by superficial bullous ulcerative cutaneous lesions associated with high fever, malaise and oedema in patients with leprosy. Two patients responded to thalidomide treatment, with regression of the symptoms and skin ulcers. The third patient responded to thalidomide plus prednisone. Analysis of the ulcerated skin lesions showed dermal oedema with mononuclear cell infiltrate enriched for gammadelta-positive T lymphocytes and an increased number of Mycobaterium leprae bacilli within capillary endothelium. In contrast, gammadelta+ cells were decreased in or absent from the blood. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 were raised in the serum of the patients at the onset of the reaction. After the episode, cytokine levels and the percentage of gammadelta+ cells in the blood returned to normal. These cases characterize an uncommon leprotic reaction with clinical similarities to type II reaction and may indicate a significant role for gammadelta+ T cells in its pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mycobacterioses, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. danuza@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Esquenazi
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: J A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Nery
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Sarno
authors.forename: G M B
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004893:Erythema Nodosum / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013792:Thalidomide; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D011241:Prednisone