Response in Two Groups of Anergic Patients to the Transfer of Leukocytes from Sensitive Donors

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Leukocytes from sensitive donors (between 18,000,000 and 20,000,000 viable cells) were injected subcutaneously into six patients with malignant lymphomas and 13 with lepromatous leprosy. In three of the patients with malignant lymphomas previously negative tuberculin reactions (old tuberculin, 1:10 dilution), became positive and remained so for at least eight months. In patients with lepromatous leprosy, who had previously had negative cutaneous tuberculin, lepromin and histoplasmin reactions, the response became positive in four to lepromin (Fernandez reaction, interpreted at 48 hours), in three to tuberculin and in one to both antigens. In two the reactivity persisted for approximately one year. Thus, it is possible to obtain partial reversal of the altered immunologic mechanisms in lepromatous patients by means of leukocyte transfer.