02100nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001400055653001100069653002500080653001200105653001600117653003100133653002500164653002600189653002200215653001800237653000900255653002900264653001300293100001300306700002300319700002200342700001400364700002800378700002400406700001600430700001400446245007100460300001000531490000800541520116300549022001401712       2004                            d  c2004 Mar10aGranuloma10aHumans10aImmunohistochemistry10aleprosy10aMacrophages10aMicroscopy, Immunoelectron10aMycobacterium leprae10aNitric Oxide Synthase10aPeripheral nerves10aS100 Proteins10aSkin10aSkin Diseases, Bacterial10aTyrosine1 aSchön T1 aHernández-Pando R1 aBaquera-Heredia J1 aNegesse Y1 aBecerril-Villanueva L E1 aEon-Contreras J C L1 aSundqvist T1 aBritton S00aNitrotyrosine localization to dermal nerves in borderline leprosy.  a570-40 v1503 a<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>Nerve damage is a common and disabling feature of leprosy, with unclear aetiology. It has been reported that the peroxidizing agents of myelin lipids-nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite-are produced in leprosy skin lesions.</p><p><b>OBJECTIVES: </b>To investigate the localization of nitrotyrosine (NT)-a local end-product of peroxynitrite-in leprosy lesions where dermal nerves are affected by a granulomatous reaction.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>We investigated by immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy the localization of the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and NT in biopsies exhibiting dermal nerves from patients with untreated leprosy.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>There were abundant NT-positive and iNOS-positive macrophages in the borderline leprosy granulomas infiltrating peripheral nerves identified by light microscopy, S-100 and neurofilament immunostaining. Immunoelectron microscopy showed NT reactivity in neurofilament aggregates and in the cell wall of Mycobacterium leprae.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Our results suggest that NO and peroxynitrite could be involved in the nerve damage following borderline leprosy.</p>  a0007-0963