02032nas a2200409   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653001500058653001000073653000900083653002400092653001500116653001800131653002000149653001000169653001100179653001700190653001100207653002300218653003700241653002400278653001200302653002600314653003500340653001600375653000900391653002500400100001500425700001100440700001300451700001200464245012700476300001000603490000600613520098900619022001401608       1978                            d  c1978 Sep 0910aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAntigens, Bacterial10aCell Count10aCell Division10aCells, Cultured10aChild10aFemale10aHLA Antigens10aHumans10aImmunity, Cellular10aImmunologic Deficiency Syndromes10aIn Vitro Techniques10aleprosy10aLymphocyte Activation10aLymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed10aLymphocytes10aMale10aMycobacterium leprae1 aStoner G L1 aTouw J1 aBelehu A1 aNaafs B00aIn-vitro lymphoproliferative response to Mycobacterium leprae of HLA-D-identical siblings of lepromatous leprosy patients.  a543-70 v23 a<p>Lymphoproliferative responses to Mycobacterium leprae and P.P.D. were measured in 23 lepromatous and borderline lepromatous leprosy patients and in 27 of their normal siblings. At the same time siblings HLA-D-identical with the patients were identified by the absence of a mixed-lymphocyte reaction. The 7 siblings who were HLA-identical to lepromatous patients responded as well to M. leprae as did the 20 HLA-non-identical normal siblings. In contrast, 22 of the 23 lepromatous patients failed to respond to M. leprae but responded normally to P.P.D. The specific unresponsiveness of lepromatous patients thus does not result from an HLA-linked genetic defect and the defective cell-mediated immune response to M. leprae seems to be acquired, not inherited. Lepromatous patients may be high responders to antigens shared by M. leprae and other microorganisms in whom a strong antibody response has blocked the induction of an M. leprae-specific-cell-mediated immune response.</p>  a0140-6736