02179nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002300055653001800078653001800096653003100114653001100145653002100156653002100177653002100198653002100219653002100240653002000261653001200281100001900293700001600312700001500328700001200343245019000355300001000545490000700555520128900562022001401851       1975                            d  c1975 Jun10aC-Reactive Protein10aComplement C310aComplement C410aComplement System Proteins10aHumans10aImmunoglobulin A10aImmunoglobulin D10aImmunoglobulin E10aImmunoglobulin G10aImmunoglobulin M10aImmunoglobulins10aleprosy1 aSrivastava L M1 aAgarwal D P1 aGoedde H W1 aRohde R00aBiochemical, immunological and genetic studies in leprosy. II. Profile of immunoglobulins, complement components and C-reactive protein in sera of leprosy patients and healthy controls.  a212-80 v263 a<p>Various classes of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG, IgD and IgE), complement components (C3 and C4) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were estimated in sera from normal healthy controls and leprosy (lepromatous and tuberculoid) patients from Ethiopia. Higher levels of IgA, IgM, IgG and IgD were found in lepromatous leprosy compared with normal healthy people while in tuberculoid leprosy only IgM, IgG and IgD levels were increased. Borderline leprosy patients showed increase in IgG level only. Although an increase in IgE was noted in lepromatous leprosy, it was not significant; the variations in IgE levels could be due to different socioeconomic background and exposure to intestinal parasites. C3 component was significantly reduced in leprosy patients compared with healthy controls while no difference in C4 component was observed. The results point towards an involvement of the "alternate pathway". A positive test against C-reactive protein antiserum was given by about 20% of the normal healthy controls while more than 60% lepromatous and tuberculoid leprosy patients were CRP positive. The results are discussed in relation to the status of immunoglobulins and complement components in leprosy and possible factors (environmental and genetic) which might affect them.</p>  a0303-4208