02195nas a2200385   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653001300058653004400071653002200115653002000137653001400157653001100171653002100182653001300203653001200216653003500228653000900263653003000272653001900302100001500321700001200336700001100348700001500359700001400374700001600388700001400404700001200418700001900430245006800449300001100517490000800528520125900536022001401795       1986                            d  c1986 Nov 0110aAntigens10aAntigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte10aAntigens, Surface10aCells, Cultured10aGranuloma10aHumans10aImmune Tolerance10aLepromin10aleprosy10aLymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed10aSkin10aT-Lymphocytes, Regulatory10aTetanus Toxoid1 aModlin R L1 aMehra V1 aWong L1 aFujimiya Y1 aChang W C1 aHorwitz D A1 aBloom B R1 aRea T H1 aPattengale P K00aSuppressor T lymphocytes from lepromatous leprosy skin lesions.  a2831-40 v1373 a<p>The immune response in leprosy forms a spectrum with lepromatous leprosy patients exhibiting specific unresponsiveness to antigens of Mycobacterium leprae. This unresponsiveness is thought to be related to the prevalence of T8-positive lymphocyte in these lepromatous lesions. To analyze the immunoregulatory function of these T8 cells, we developed simple procedures to extract lymphocytes from skin biopsy specimens of patients with leprosy. These lymphocytes were sorted for T8 and T4 positive cells, and cell lines were established by expansion with interleukin 2 (IL 2) and irradiated feeder cells. All T8 positive lines tested were positive for IL 2 receptors and HLA-DR determinants. These lines were additionally assayed for lepromin-induced suppression of the normal peripheral blood lymphocyte Con A proliferative response. Thirteen of 32 lines from six lepromatous patients showed significant suppressor activity, whereas nine lines from six tuberculoid patients and one line from normal peripheral blood failed to show suppression (p less than 0.001). Taken together, the finding of M. leprae-triggered suppressor cells within lepromatous skin lesions may in part explain the M. leprae unresponsiveness of lepromatous leprosy patients.</p>  a0022-1767