01679nas a2200325   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653002400058653001900082653001100101653002100112653001200133653001400145653002500159100001500184700001300199700001100212700001400223700001400237700002300251700001300274700002000287700001200307700001500319245009500334300001200429490000800441520089000449022001401339       1983                            d  c1983 Dec 0110aAntigens, Bacterial10aConcanavalin A10aHumans10aInterferon-gamma10aleprosy10aMonocytes10aMycobacterium leprae1 aNogueira N1 aKaplan G1 aLevy E1 aSarno E N1 aKushner P1 aGranelli-Piperno A1 aVieira L1 aColomer Gould V1 aLevis W1 aSteinman R00aDefective gamma interferon production in leprosy. Reversal with antigen and interleukin 2.  a2165-700 v1583 a<p>Antigen and mitogen-induced gamma interferon (gamma-IFN) production was studied in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 34 leprosy patients. 17 of 18 lepromatous leprosy and borderline lepromatous patients (LL and BL) failed to release gamma-IFN in response to specific antigen (Mycobacterium leprae) and displayed reduced responses to mitogen (concanavalin A) stimulation. In contrast, cells from six tuberculoid and borderline tuberculoid patients (TT and BT) produced considerable levels of gamma-IFN under the same experimental conditions. Normal controls failed to respond to M. leprae and most displayed good responses to concanavalin A. Mid-borderline patients (BB) showed intermediate levels of gamma-IFN release. gamma-IFN release by lepromatous patients could be partially restored with purified interleukin 2 and M. leprae antigen but not with interleukin 2 alone.</p>  a0022-1007