@article{12794,
  keywords = {Adult, Aged, Animals, Blood Cell Count, Clofazimine, Dapsone, Erythema Nodosum, Erythrocytes, Humans, Immune Adherence Reaction, leprosy, Middle Aged, Phenazines, Sheep, T-Lymphocytes},
  author = {Lim S D and Kiszkiss D F and Jacobson R R and Choi Y S and Good R A},
  title = {Thymus-dependent lymphocytes of peripheral blood in leprosy patients.},
  abstract = {<p>Study of the numbers of thymus-derived lymphocytes by the rosette assay (T-RFC) in patients with leprosy reveals that lower than normal numbers of T-RFC are regularly seen in those patients with the active lepromatous form of this disease. Essentially normal numbers of T-RFC were found in inactive lepromatous, borderline, and indeterminate types of leprosy. The lowest percentages and lowest absolute numbers of T-RFC were encountered in patients with lepromatous leprosy resistant to chemotherapy. Patients with lepromatous leprosy complicated by erythema nodosum leprosum show numbers of T-RFC that are more nearly normal than the numbers of T-RFC in patients with uncomplicated lepromatous leprosy. These findings are discussed with respect to the pathogenesis of lepromatous leprosy and the T-RFC deficiency demonstrated in this disease. The possibility that transient defects in T-RFC numbers or function may predispose to lepromatous leprosy is proposed.</p>},
  year = {1974},
  journal = {Infection and immunity},
  volume = {9},
  pages = {394-9},
  month = {1974 Feb},
  issn = {0019-9567},
  language = {eng},
}