It is widely accepted that patients with lepromatous leprosy have a specific deficiency of cell-mediated immunity towards Mycobacterium Leprae, but the mechanism of this immune deficiency has not been fully understood. In order to investigate the
immune
abnormalities in leprosy, 10 kinds of monoclonal antibodies against several lymphocyte surface molecules (anti-CD2, anti-CD3, anti-CD4, anti-CD8, anti-CD19, anti-CD25, anti-CD45$, anti-HLA-DR, anti-NK, anti-transferrin receptor) were used in flow
cytometric analysis to identify subpopulations of peripheral blood mononuclear cell from 35 multibacillary leprosy patients (27 lepromatous and 8 borderline lepromatous leprosy) and 7 paucibacillary leprosy patients (4 tuberculoid and 3
borderline
tuberculoid leprosy).
@ES The rusults are summarized as follows:
@EN 1. Pan T cell count by using anti-CD3 was significantly reduced in multibacillary leprosy and all leprosy patients, compared to that of healthy controls (P<0.01).
2. The mean percentage of CD4+T lymphocytes was decreased in patients with multibacillary leprosy (P<0.05).
3. The mean percentages of suppressor/inducer and helper/inducer T lymphocytes were decreased in patients with multibacillary leprosy (P<0.05).
4. There was no statistically significant difrerence in the mean percentage of CD8+T lymphocytes.
5. The CD4+/CD8+ ratio was decreased in all patients (P<0.05) and in multibacillary patients (P<0.02) incomparison to healthy controls.
6. The mean percentage of CD19+ cells (B cells) was decreased slightly with no statistical significance.
7. The men percentage of activated T lymphocytes was not significantly different.
8. MHC class II antigen expression was markedly decreased in all patients (P<0.01).
9. ND cell activities were not statistically significant.
10. The man percentage of activated suppressor/cytotoxic T (CD8+NK+) cells was increased slightly with no statistical significance.
These results suggest that the decrease in suppressor/inducer (naive) T cell number may be a primary immunologic defect in the development of leprosy, with helper inducer (memory) T cell decrement a secondary occurrence. (Kor J Dermatol 1992;30
(4)
:
454-466)
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