02554nas a2200409   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653002600080653001000106653001600116653001200132653003000144653002100174653001600195653003500211653001100246653001200257653001600269653002500285653001800310653001300328653001800341653002900359653003400388653003000422100001400452700001500466700001300481245015800494856004100652300001000693490000700703520142000710022001402130       1986                            d  c1986 Mar10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aChild10aClofazimine10aDapsone10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aErythema Nodosum10aEthionamide10aFluorescent Antibody Technique10aHumans10aleprosy10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aNew Caledonia10aRifampin10aT-Lymphocytes10aT-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic10aT-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer10aT-Lymphocytes, Regulatory1 aGarraud O1 aRibierre O1 aBach M A00aA follow up of T-cell subsets and of anti-M. leprae antibody titer as measured by the FLA-ABS test in Melanesian leprosy patients under polychemotherapy.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v54n1a06.pdf  a38-450 v543 a<p>Melanesian leprosy patients from New Caledonia were studied for the following parameters during the course of polychemotherapy: peripheral blood T-cell subsets, as identified in an immunofluorescence assay with monoclonal antibodies OKT3 ("pan-T"), OKT4 ("helper/inducer"), and OKT8 ("cytotoxic-suppressor"), and anti-Mycobacterium leprae antibodies in the serum, as measured by the fluorescent leprosy antibody absorption test. A group of Melanesian healthy subjects with no known exposure to M. leprae served as controls. Healthy contacts of leprosy patients were also studied for the presence of anti-M. leprae antibodies. Untreated, nonreactional lepromatous patients displayed moderate but significant T-cell abnormalities, consisting of a decrease in the percentage of OKT3+ and OKT4+ cells with a decrease in the OKT4:OKT8 ratio. These abnormalities disappeared within nine months of treatment. A transient decrease in the percentage of OKT8+ cells with an increase in the OKT4:OKT8 ratio was seen in patients suffering erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). Tuberculoid patients, whether treated or not, did not show any T-cell marker disturbances. Positive serological tests for anti-M. leprae antibodies were found in 100% of lepromatous patients, 92% of tuberculoid patients, and 56% of healthy contacts. No significant decline in the antibody titer was observed with treatment during the survey period.</p>  a0148-916X