Leprosy XII. T-Cell Subsets in Lepromatous Leprosy |
| |
| Authors: | Soo Duk Lim M.D. Chung Sul Woo M.D. Jae Il Youn M.D. Youn Won Kim M.D. Do Il Kim M.D. Ramon M. Fusaro M.D. |
| |
| Affiliation: | Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea, and the Korean National Leprosy Research Institute, Seoul, Korea, and the Departments of Dermatology, Colleges of Medicine, Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska |
| |
| Abstract: | ABSTRACT: The authors quantitated T-rosette-forming cell (TRFC) and T-cell subsets (Tμ, Tγ) in the peripheral blood of twenty patients with lepromatous leprosy. The results obtained in their studies are as follows: (1) They reconfirmed the low levels of TRFC in patients with lepromatous type of leprosy; (2) T-cell subsets, both Tμ (helper) and Tγ (suppressor) cells, showed lower levels in all patients with lepromatous leprosy than mean values of normal healthy controls; (3) The degree of decreased levels of Tμ cells (96%) was more severe than other parameters TRFC (70%) and Tγ cells (47%) in all patients with lepromatous leprosy; and (4) it may be concluded that the alteration of the T-cell subset, Tμ-cells, reflects a more fundamental abnormality than TRFC aberration in demonstrating the impairment of cell-mediated immunity in patients with lepromatous leprosy. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
