Enhancement of resistance to murine leprossy by BCG plus specific antigen

The importance of specific immune response, and a means of enhancing specific protection against leprotic infections, have been investigated. Rats were challenged with M. leprae murium after having received the following antigens: attenuated tubercle bacilli of the BCG and R1Rv strains, heat-killed suspensions of M. leprae murium, and the attenuated tubercle bacilli accompanied by smaller amounts of M. leprae murium antigen. The results indicate that specific antigen plays a distinctive role in protection and that superior protection is afforded by small amounts of specific antigen combined with the tubercle bacilli as stimulators of immune response. Significant protection was achieved by single administrations of antigen, on a basis adopted to practical application. The liabilities which may attend large and repeated doses of mycobacterial antigens have been emphasized as peculiar to those individuals most in need of protection. The theoretical basis of enhancing response to modest amounts od specific antigen has been indicated.

Hematologic study of leprosy patients treated with diasone

The clinical symptoms, frequency and relation to intensity of treatment, and the course of the anemia produced by diasone are described. It is shown that the changes in the blood picture are limited to the red blood count, without disturbance of other components. The anemia begins early in the first weeks of treatment and as a general rule abates with complete recovery during the periods of rest from the drug. Investigations made in the treated patients have included the reticulocytosis, urobilinuria, bilirubinemia, and red blood cell resistance; the results of biopsy of the bone marrow in certain cases are also given. The findings show that the anemia is not due to a toxic action of the drug on the bone marrow, since there is good reticulocyte response in all cases and no leucopenia; furthermore, bone marrow biopsy shows a normal or increased erythroblastic activity, and granulopoiesis is also normal or increased. It is, therefore, deduced that the drug acts as a hemolytic toxin, as shown by the decrease in the red-blood-cell resistance, the presence of urobilin in the urine of almost all the cases, the absence of bile pigments in the urine, of direct bilirubin in the blood, and the absence of indirect bilirubinemia in the great majority of cases. Taking these facts into account adequate therapeutic measures, based on clinical experience, are suggested.