01301nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002400055653001100079653001200090653002600102653002700128653001600155653002500171653001800196100001700214245009800231300001000329490000700339520071100346022001401057       1978                            d  c1978 Oct10aAntigens, Bacterial10aHumans10aleprosy10aLymphocyte Activation10aLymphocyte Cooperation10aMacrophages10aMycobacterium leprae10aT-Lymphocytes1 aHirschberg H00aThe role of macrophages in the lymphoproliferative response to Mycobacterium leprae in vitro.  a46-510 v343 a<p>Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients suffering from lepromatous leprosy do not normally react in vitro to stimulation by Mycobacterium leprae antigens. In contrast, we found that T cells from non-responding patients in combination with macrophages from responding patients or healthy contacts did respond well to M. leprae. Conversely, T cells from responding patients or healthy contacts in combinations with macrophages from non-responding patients failed to respond. It seems, therefore, that the lack of response normally observed in in vitro tests using cells from lepromatous leprosy patients is due to a failure of their macrophages to present M. leprae antigens in an immunogenic form.</p>  a0009-9104