02041nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001500080653001500095653001300110653001100123653001100134653001200145653002400157653000900181653001500190653001600205653001800221653002600239653001400265100001400279700001200293700001300305700001200318700002100330700001600351245006200367300001100429490000700440520120600447022001401653       2003                            d  c2003 Jun10aAdolescent10aAdult10aBiomarkers10aCell Count10aChymases10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aLeprosy, Borderline10aMale10aMast Cells10aMiddle Aged10aNeuropeptides10aSerine Endopeptidases10aTryptases1 aAntunes S1 aLiang Y1 aNeri JAC1 aSarno E1 aHaak-Frendscho M1 aJohansson O00aMast cell subsets and neuropeptides in leprosy reactions.  a208-190 v613 a<p>The immunohistochemical identification of neuropeptides (calcitonin gene-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, substance P, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone and gamma-melanocyte stimulating hormone) quantification of mast cells and their subsets (tryptase/chymase-immunoreactive mast cells = TCMC and tryptase-immunoreactive mast cells = TMC) were determined in biopsies of six patients with leprosy reactions (three patients with type I reaction and three with type II). Biopsies were compared with those taken from the same body site in the remission stage of the same patient. We found a relative increase of TMC in the inflammatory infiltrate of the reactional biopsies compared to the post-reactional biopsy. Also, the total number of mast cells and the TMC/TCMC ratio in the inflammatory infiltrate was significantly higher than in the intervening dermis of the biopsies of both periods. No significant difference was found regarding neuroptide expression in the reactional and post-reactional biopsies. The relative increase of TMC in the reactional infiltrates could implicate this mast cell subset in the reported increase of the immune response in leprosy reactions.</p>  a0004-282X