02036nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001200080653001100092653001100103653001200114653000900126653001600135653001500151653001700166653001600183100001700199700001800216700001500234700001700249700001300266245012600279300001100405490000700416520128500423022001401708       1985                            d  c1985 Jun10aAdolescent10aAdult10aDapsone10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMuramidase10aRadial Nerve10aSural Nerve1 aHaimanot R T1 aMcDougall A C1 aMshana R N1 aAndersen J G1 aBelehu A00aMuramidase (lysozyme) findings in sural and radial nerve biopsies in leprosy patients after varying periods of treatment.  a238-460 v533 a<p>Using the immunoperoxidase staining method, tissue muramidase (lysozyme) activity was studied in 34 nerve biopsies from leprosy patients and compared to findings in the skin. In a majority of lepromatous and borderline-lepromatous leprosy patients, the enzyme was seen to form a saccular pattern within the cells; whereas a granular pattern was found at the tuberculoid end of the leprosy spectrum, as well as during reversal reactions. Indeed, the most intense enzymatic activity was found in four patients with reversal reactions. Compared to the skin, muramidase activity was found to be more intense and persisted longer in the nerves. Successful antileprosy treatment reduced the enzymatic activity in both the nerves and the skin, but more so in the skin. Schwann cells and axons did not show muramidase activity, indicating that the muramidase-positive cells are not of neuronal origin. Our results suggest that a high percentage of mononuclear cells infiltrating the peripheral nerves in leprosy are derived from blood monocytes. The function of tissue muramidase in leprosy is not yet clear. Its peculiar intracellular distribution pattern in the different forms of leprosy, however, warrants further study to elucidate its role in the pathogenesis of the disease.</p>  a0148-916X