Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease by an intracellular parasite, Mycobacterium
leprae. The clinical features of leprosy are extremely variable according to the host
response to Mycobacterium leprae, especially cell-mediated hypersensitivity and
immunecomplex-mediated hypersensitivity.
This study was to determine the total serum IgE levels of both tuberculoid leprosy
and lepromatous leprosy and to observe the differences of IgE levels between both
groups and to suggest the effect of interleukin-4 in lepromatous leprosy.
One hundred and twenty five patients with leprosy were selected, who visited at the
department of dermatology, Institute for Leprosy Research from 1990 to 1993 and whose
bacterial indices were 0, 4+, 5+ or 6+. Their meanage was 50.7. Serum IgE levels were
measured by sandwich ELISA with Immunotech IgE kit.
The results were as follows :
1. The mean IgE values in lepromatous leprosy patients were significantly higher(468.5
±342.01U/m1 in the group BI 4+, 539.6±320.91U/ml in the group of BI 5+, 640±
3201U/m1 in the group of BI 6+) than in tuberculoid ieprosy patients(p<0.05).
2. A tendency toward lower levels of serum IgE was noted in 17 patients of 25
followed-up patients except on suffering leprosy reaction.
3. The IgE levels were temporarily elevated during the leprosy reaction in 8 of 10
patients.
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