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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jun 24.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Dermatopathol. 2011 Jul;33(5):433–460. doi: 10.1097/DAD.0b013e3181e8b587

Figure 12. A comparison of the stages of syphilis and leprosy and their relationship to the balance of humoral and cell-mediated immunity.

Figure 12

The overlapping triangles indicate the relative strength of delayed hypersensitivity and antibody production. The cross-hatched triangle indicates delayed hypersensitivity; the open triangle, antibody production. High levels of delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) are associated with cure; weak DTH is associated with progressive disease; balanced DTH and antibody production with borderline leprosy and latent syphilis. Progression of syphilis to the tertiary stage is most likely more related to depressed T-cell immunity, with or without high levels of antibody production.