ABSTRACT
ATPase staining and ultrastructural study of skin biopsies from six patients of leprosy (2TT, 4LL) and three normal subjects was carried out to study Langherhans Cells (LC). ATPase staining showed normal counts of LCs in tuberculoid patients, while significant reduction was observed in lepromatous cases. Electron microscopy revealed morphological changes in LL cases in the form of dense matrix and indistinct cristae of mitochondria; decreased number of lysosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum; and numerous vacuoles in cytoplasm. TT cases showed normal morphology. Possible role of Langerhans Cells in pathogenesis of leprosy is discussed.
Subject(s)
Langerhans Cells/ultrastructure , Leprosy/pathology , Humans , Microscopy, Electron , Skin/ultrastructureABSTRACT
Serum zinc levels were estimated in 146 patients with different types of leprosy and 40 control subjects. Tuberculoid patients were found to have normal serum zinc levels. A gradual reduction in serum zinc levels was observed from TT to LL. Serum zinc levels were not significantly higher in patients treated with dapsone for approximately 18 months. The cause of hypozincemia is not clear, but the findings suggest that there are correlations among bacillary load, immune status, and serum zinc. Zinc deficiency could be one of the factors involved in the nonspecific suppression of cell-mediated immunity in lepromatous leprosy.
Subject(s)
Leprosy/blood , Zinc/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Oral zinc was tried in 15 cases of multibacillary leprosy as an immunostimulant in addition to conventional antileprosy drugs. Results were compared with those in ten similar cases treated with dapsone alone. Cases treated with zinc showed faster clinical improvement, regrowth of eyebrows, rapid fall in the bacterial index (BI) and in the bacterial index in the granuloma (BIG), early and greater influx in lymphocytes in the granuloma, and neovascularization. Upgrading occurred in 6 out of 15 patients taking zinc, but in only 1 out of 10 patients in the control group. Five out of six patients who showed upgrading in the treated group became lepromin positive. Only one patient (BL) showed lepromin conversion in the control group.
Subject(s)
Dapsone/administration & dosage , Leprosy/drug therapy , Zinc/administration & dosage , Adult , Erythema Nodosum/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Leprosy/immunology , Leprosy/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Zinc/immunologyABSTRACT
Oral zinc sulfate was tried in Eight cases of recurrent Erythema Nodosum Leprosum. To control ENL, they required high dosage of clofazimine and steroids for prolonged periods. After instituting oral zinc, the dose of clofazimine could be reduced to 100 mg twice a week and steroids could be withdrawn completely. Four out of five patients who were not tolerating dapsone earlier, started tolerating dapsone. Incidence and severity of subsequent ENL was also reduced.
Subject(s)
Erythema Nodosum/drug therapy , Leprosy/drug therapy , Sulfates/therapeutic use , Zinc/therapeutic use , Administration, Oral , Adult , Clofazimine/therapeutic use , Dapsone/therapeutic use , Drug Therapy, Combination , Erythema Nodosum/blood , Female , Humans , Leprosy/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Recurrence , Sulfates/administration & dosage , Zinc/administration & dosage , Zinc/blood , Zinc SulfateABSTRACT
Langerhans cell population was counted in 44 patients of different types of leprosy and compared with 12 normal volunteers. Significant reduction in LC count was observed in cases of LL (253.44 +/- 136.83/mm2) and BL (349.36 +/- 121.67/mm2). Whereas in TT (854.60 +/- 332.01/mm2) and BT (715.76 +/- 235.33/mm2) there was no significant difference, as compared to Normal (927.43 +/- 103.87/mm2). Treatment had no influence on LC population in both the polar types of leprosy. Role of these immunocompetent dendritic cells in the pathogenesis of leprosy is discussed.