THE CELLULAR CONTENT OF DERMAL LEPROUS GRANULOMAS - AN IMMUNO-HISTOLOGICAL APPROACH

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 52  (3) , 318-326
Abstract
An indirect immunofluorescence technique with monoclonal antibodies was used to identify T cells, T helper cells, T suppressor cells and granulocytes in the dermal granulomas of 22 patients with leprosy. In tuberculoid leprosy, T helper cells predominated and T suppressor cells were located at the periphery of well-circumscribed granulomas. In lepromatous leprosy, the 2 subsets of T cells were numerous in treated patients. In erythema nodosum leprosum lesions, T cells were more numerous and T helper cells predominated. Enumerations of the T cell subsets in the dermis and in the blood showed similar changes, but these changes were quantitatively more marked in the dermal granulomas.