01503nas a2200277 4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653001100065653001700076653002200093653001100115653001100126653004000137653002500177653001600202653000900218653000900227100001500236700001300251245006700264300001000331490000800341520086200349022001401211 1992 d c1992 Jun10aAdult10aBiopsy10aCell Nucleus10aEpithelioid Cells10aFemale10aHumans10aImage Processing, Computer-Assisted10aLeprosy, Tuberculoid10aMacrophages10aMale10aSkin1 aCampbell G1 aCree I A00aMacrophage and epithelioid cell nuclear morphology in leprosy. a625-90 v1883 a

The spectrum of disease in leprosy is characterised by the presence of macrophages in lepromatous lesions and epithelioid cells in tuberculoid granulomas. Since changes in nuclear shape occur during macrophage activation, we have measured nuclear morphology by planimetry in biopsies across the leprosy spectrum. The results show no significant correlation of any of the parameters of nuclear morphology measured between different lesions or between biopsies from the centre and edge of the same lesion. There were no differences between the Ridley-Jopling groups. However, several parameters which measure the degree of ellipticity of the nuclei showed strong correlation with granuloma size in untreated leprosy patients. This suggests that local pressure effects may influence epithelioid cell and macrophage nuclear morphology in leprosy lesions.

 a0344-0338