Figure 1.

Immune profile of leprosy patients and exposed healthy household contacts (HC). Lymphocyte proliferative responses (10 μg/ml) (a) and secretion of IFN-γ (b) were detected in supernatants after 5 days of M. leprae antigen stimulation of PBMCs. Patient groups were lepromatous and borderline lepromatous (L), borderline tuberculoid and tuberculoid (T) type of leprosy and exposed healthy household contacts (HC). The number of individuals tested in each group is indicated in brackets. (a) Lymphoproliferative responses as mean Δc.p.m. of the group±1SEM and (b) IFN-γ responses as mean pg/ml±1SEM.