01444nas a2200253   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001200059653001500071653003100086653003700117653001100154653001200165653001000177653002500187653000900212100001200221700001100233245009400244300001200338490000800350520081800358022001401176       1982                            d  c1982 Nov-Dec10aAnimals10aArmadillos10aBacteriological Techniques10aCentrifugation, Density Gradient10aHumans10aleprosy10aLiver10aMycobacterium leprae10aSkin1 aDas P K1 aTulp A00aUse of a unit gravity sedimentation chamber for the purification of Mycobacterium leprae.  a389-4000 v1333 a<p>The present paper summarizes results concerning a mild isolation method of Mycobacterium lepraemurium and M. bovis-BCG from host tissues, and describes the application of such a method in purifying M. leprae (M1) from either infected armadillo tissues or human skin biopsies. This isolation method consists of homogenization, two-phase partition in dextranpolyethylene glycol and finally sedimentation in sucrose gradient using a unit gravity chamber. Such a purified M1 preparation appears to be devoid of host-tissue contaminants as examined by light and electron microscopy as well as by a radioimmuno spot test. The results indicate that the present method is mild enough to allow the purification of M1 from infected host tissues with in vivo conservation of antigenicity and viability of the bacilli.</p>  a0300-5410