01746nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001600055653001100071653001800082653001200100653002500112653001300137100001300150700001500163700001300178700001600191700001200207700001500219245012900234856004100363300001100404490000700415520103200422022001401454       1982                            d  c1982 Dec10aBCG Vaccine10aHumans10aImmunotherapy10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aVaccines1 aConvit J1 aAranzazu N1 aUlrich M1 aPinardi M E1 aREYES O1 aAlvarado J00aImmunotherapy with a mixture of Mycobacterium leprae and BCG in different forms of leprosy and in Mitsuda-negative contacts.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v50n4a01.pdf  a415-240 v503 a<p>A total of 529 weak or non-reactors to M. leprae, including Mitsuda-negative contacts and patients with leprosy, were vaccinated once or repeatedly, as necessary, with a mixture of 6 x 10(8) purified, heat-killed M. leprae and 0.01 mg to 0.2 mg of viable BCG. Clinical, histopathological and immunological criteria were used to evaluate the response of these individuals. Clinical changes, including sharper definition of borders and progressive flattening and regression of lesions, were observed in 57% of the active LL cases and 76% of the active BL cases. Histopathological study revealed infiltration of the lesions by mononuclear cells, appearance of epithelioid differentiation, and fragmentation of the microorganisms. Delayed-type skin tests with soluble antigen from purified M. leprae became positive in significant numbers of each group studied. These results demonstrate the efficacy of combined immunotherapy in low-resistance forms of leprosy and potential utility in the immunoprophylaxis of the disease.</p>  a0148-916X