@article{18507,
  keywords = {Bacterial Vaccines, Drug Therapy, Combination, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Immunotherapy, Active, Leprostatic Agents, Leprosy, Borderline, Leprosy, lepromatous, Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, Skin, Treatment Outcome},
  author = {Zaheer S A and Mukherjee R and Ramkumar B and Misra R S and Sharma A K and Kar H K and Kaur H and Nair S and Mukherjee A and Talwar G P},
  title = {Combined multidrug and Mycobacterium w vaccine therapy in patients with multibacillary leprosy.},
  abstract = {<p>Immunotherapy with Mycobacterium w vaccine was attempted in patients with borderline-borderline, borderline lepromatous (BL), or lepromatous leprosy (LL) to determine whether immunization can hasten recovery and reduce treatment time by invigorating cell-mediated immunity. Mycobacterium w, a nonpathogenic, rapidly growing, atypical mycobacterium, shares a number of common B and T cell determinants with Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Patients receiving the vaccine had rapid clinical improvement and accelerated bacteriologic clearance. After treatment with vaccine for 2 years, 13 of 31 BL and LL patients were bacteriologically negative as were 5 of 25 controls. Vaccinated patients had one of two distinct histologic features, either an upgrading in the disease spectrum or complete clearance of granuloma. Some 80% of lepromin conversions were in BL and LL patients who received vaccine versus none and 14.3% of BL and LL controls, respectively. Thirteen of 17 vaccinated LL patients were released from treatment after 2 years in contrast to 2 of 15 controls.</p>},
  year = {1993},
  journal = {The Journal of infectious diseases},
  volume = {167},
  pages = {401-10},
  month = {1993 Feb},
  issn = {0022-1899},
  doi = {10.1093/infdis/167.2.401},
  language = {eng},
}