Comp Arison of the Activ Ation of Function of T-Cells from Blood and Tissue Lesions of Leprosy Patients
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1994-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
While characterizing the functional properties of T -cells across the leprosy
spectrum, significant differences between proliferation ofT-cells isolated from blood
and tissue lesions were consistently noted. The differences occurred in more than
80% of cases when comparison was made between blood and skin derived
lymphocytes from leprosy patients; in 50-80% cases when comparing lymphocytes
isolated from nerves with those from blood of leprosy patients, and > 85 % when
comparing lymphocytes derived from blood or skin lesions of patients with other
skin inflammatory diseases. The differences were seen throughout the leprosy
spectrum. Skin derived lymphocytes from patients with multibacillary (ME) or
paucibacillary (PB) leprosy proliferated poorly when compared to lymphocytes
isolated from blood and lymphocytes derived from nerves of some PB and most
MB patients proliferated poorly when compared to lymphocytes from blood.
Stimulation with a strong co-mitogen did not restore responsiveness of T -cells
isolated from skin lesions. Cells from different tissues also differed from each other
in activation requirements. Analysis of molecules known to differ between T-cell
subpopulations and to playa role in T -cell activation indicated some differences in
the molecules expressed between blood and tissue lesion derived T-cells. However,
the differences observed did not appear to be striking enough to account for the poor
responsiveness of tissue lesion derived T-cells. Assays for lymphokine production
showed that more IL-2 and IL-4 were produced by T-cell cultured from blood
compared to cells from skin, IFN-/, production was found to be made in equal
amount by cells from both tissues, The absence of marked differences between blood and lesion derived T-cells, except ill the production of IL-2 and IL-4,
indicates that a possible explanation for the difference in proliferation is anergy as
anergic cells are not able to produce IL-2 or respond to IL-2 from an external
source. Other possibilities which may contribute to the difference are discussed
Description
Keywords
Biology