In leprosy, it is generally believed that the defence against mycobacterium leprae (M.
leprae) is largely dependent on cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and these is an
accumulating evidence that the patients with lepromalous leprosy have not only defective
CMI specific for M. leprae but also have generalized impairments of CMI. In contrast
the humoral immune reactivity. both specific and nonspecific, have been found to be
normal or slightly increased.
Recently, several investigators have enumerated the peripheral blood T and B
lymphocytes in patients wish leprosy ; however, there is no agreement as to the results
Furthermore, leprosy has been found to differ in its clinical manifestations and
immunological behaviors in different geographic areas and races. Nevertheless, there is
yeti no report in Korea cancerning the T and B lymphocyte enumeration. The authere
considered it is necessary to enumerate the peripheral T and B lymphocytes in Korean
patients wish leprosy for evaluation of immune status of leprosy and to find out any
differences in the immunologic reactivity between lepromalous and tuberculoid spectrum
of leprosy.
Eighty nine patients wish leprosy (37 polar lepromalous, 17 borderline lepromatous, 17
borderline tuberculoid, and 18 polar tubercunoid) were entered in this study. The
diagnosis of leprosy was made by clinical, bacteriological, histopathological and
immunological assessments and the patients were classified according to the
Ridley-Jopling scala. All patients were under antileprosy chemotherapy with Diamino
diphenyl salfone(DDS) for varying periods, 6 months to 26 years. Normal healthy control
group included 33 medical students, physicians and nurses. peripheral blood T and B
lymphocytes were enumerated by the E-rosette technique and Mouse Red Blood Ce11
(MRBC) - rosette technique, respectstively. The results were summarized as follows.
① The mean percentage of total T lymphocytes was 66.2% in patients with LL,
69.1% in BL, 70.4% in BT, and 71.9% in TT respectively. The mean percentage of T
lymphocytes in normal control group was 72.0%. There was a statistically significant
decrease in the percentage of T lymphocytes in LL patients, as compared to normal
healthy controls (0.01 ② The mean percentage of B lymphocytes was 8.0% in patients with LL, 6.5% in BL,
6.6% in patients with BT and TT, and 5.7% in normal healthy control group. There
was a statistically significant increase in the percentage of B lymphocytes in patients
with LL ( P < 0.05)
③ There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage and absolute
counts of T and B lymphocytes between patients with erythema nodosum
leprosum(ENL) and patient without it.
④ There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of T and B
lymphocytes between lepromatous patients receiving antileprosy chemotherapy for less
than 3 years and more than 3 years.
The authors discussed the possible cause of the disturbance of T : B lymphocyte ratio
and the mechanism of the immune perturbation in leprosy.
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