Skip to main content
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1975 Nov 22;4(5994):435–437. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5994.435

Antigenic heterogeneity in patients with reactions in borderline leprosy.

R S Barnetson, G Bjune, J M Pearson, G Kronvall
PMCID: PMC1675388  PMID: 53086

Abstract

Fifteen patients with borderline leprosy who developed "reversal" reactions were studied from the inception of treatment. Thirteen showed an appreciable increase in lymphocyte transformation (LT) when preparations of Mycobacterium leprae were used as antigen. The LT responses to either "whole" or "sonicated" preparations of the bacillus in these 15 patients and in nine others also in reaction correlated with the clinical presentation. Those with skin disease predominating in the reaction showed an appreciable increase in LT when whole M leprae was used as antigen. Those with nerve disease predominating showed an increase with sonicated M leprae. In those with both skin and nerve disease there was an increase with both antigen preparations. The ratios of the LT test results (whole to sonicated M leprae) showed highly significant differences between the three groups.

Full text

PDF
435

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Goodwin C. S. The use of the voluntary muscle test in leprosy neuritis. Lepr Rev. 1968 Oct;39(4):209–216. doi: 10.5935/0305-7518.19680034. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Wemambu S. N., Turk J. L., Waters M. F., Rees R. J. Erythema nodosum leprosum: a clinical manifestation of the arthus phenomenon. Lancet. 1969 Nov 1;2(7627):933–935. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90592-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES