Article
Lepromatous leprosy: Study of some subpopulations of lymphocytes and its functional analysis
Fecha
1985Autor
Castellanos-Barba, C.
Islas-Rodriguez, A.
Morales, R.
Gonzalez-Mendoza, A.
Zambrano-Villa, S.
Ortiz-Ortiz, L.
Institución
Resumen
Total T lymphocyte levels were investigated in a group of patients with lepromatous leprosy and in clinically healthy individuals, by the capacity to form E rosettes, together with Fc-gamma suppressor T lymphocytes and blastoid transformation capacity of the lymphoid cells, when stimulation with concanavalin A. The determination of T lymphocytes by E rosettes showed patients had decreased levels when compared to normal control subjects. The determination of Fc-gamma suppressor T lymphcytes evaluated by rosette formation with chicken erythrocytes sensitized with IgG, showed significantly increased levels of such lymphocytes. In the culture of peripheral blood lymphocytes, blastoid transformation induced by concanavalin A and mediated by tritiated thymidine revealed low levels in leprosy patients. The studies mentioned demonstrated that patients with lepromatous leprosy present with significantly increased numbers of suppressor T lymphocytes than clinically healthy individuals. This could be the cause of insufficient transformation of lymphoid cells after mitogenic stimulation by T lymphocytes.