01665nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653002200089653002500111653001000136653001100146653001100157653001200168653000900180653001500189653001600204653002900220100001800249700001700267700001200284245004000296856005900336300001000395490000700405050003200412520086900444022001401313       2001                            d  c2001 Mar10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aCase-Control Studies10aChild10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMast Cells10aMiddle Aged10aSkin Diseases, Bacterial1 aMysorekar V V1 aDandekar C P1 aRao S G00aMast cells in leprosy skin lesions.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/2001/v72n1/pdf/v72n1a06.pdf  a29-340 v72  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>The density and distribution of mast cells was assessed in skin biopsies of 118 untreated leprosy cases and 20 healthy individuals taken as controls. Mast cells were present in only small numbers in the skin biopsies of healthy individuals. Significantly higher mast cell counts were obtained in the skin lesions of indeterminate leprosy (P < 0.01). The mast cell count in the tuberculoid group was significantly lower than that in the lepromatous group (P < 0.05). The lepromatous group also showed increased mast cell degranulation and altered morphology. The mast cell distribution in the skin biopsies of the two groups was, however, similar. The mast cell count in leprosy is probably determined by the pattern of cytokines released by the T lymphocytes. However, the influence of mast cells on the outcome of the disease needs to be evaluated further.</p>  a0305-7518