02133nas a2200373 4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653002600059653001200085653001100097653001800108653001700126653001800143653002300161653002000184653002300204653001100227653002000238653001200258653001400270653002500284653002500309653001500334653000900349653002600358100001300384700001700397245021000414856004100624300001200665490000700677520106100684022001401745 1974 d c1974 Oct-Dec10aAcetylglucosaminidase10aAnimals10aBiopsy10aCell Membrane10aChick Embryo10aGlucuronidase10aGlycosaminoglycans10aHexosaminidases10aHistocytochemistry10aHumans10aHyaluronic Acid10aleprosy10aLysosomes10aMicroscopy, Electron10aMycobacterium leprae10aPhagocytes10aSkin10aSubcellular Fractions1 aMatsuo E1 aSkinsnes O K00aAcid mucopolysaccharide metabolism in leprosy. 2. Subcellular localization of hyaluronic acid and beta-glucuronidase in leprous infiltrates suggestive of a host-Mycobacterium leprae metabolic relationship. uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v42n4a03.pdf a399-4110 v423 a

Electron- and light microscopic analyses were conducted on leprosy skin biopsies relative to the origin of hyaluronic acid, which has previously been observed to be distributed inversely in ratio to the degree of cell- mediated immunity. The present study investigated the subcellular localization of hyaluronic acid and its degrading enzyme in various types of leprosy. Hyaluronic acid in some lepromatous leprosy cases was shown to be accumulated in the limiting membranes of the phagosomes of lepra cells and Myco-bacteria leprae have beta-glucuronidase which plays a role in the degradation of hyaluronic acid. Contrariwise, in tuberculoid leprosy, beta-glucuronidase was detected in the lysosomes of epithelioid cells and giant cells. This result suggests that the origin of hyaluronic acid is in histiocytes and at the same time it might suggest that M. leprae is in competition with enzymes of epithelioid cells for hyaluronic acid, whereas reduced or absent beta-glucuronidase in lepra cells enable bacilli to utilize the AMPS as a nutrient.

a0148-916X