01791nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653002200089653002600111653002500137653001100162653001100173653003200184653002100216653001200237653000900249653001600258653002500274653001500299100001400314700001400328700001500342700001700357245004400374300001200418490000700430520099000437022001401427       1990                            d  c1990 Apr10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAged, 80 and over10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntibody Specificity10aFemale10aHumans10aHypersensitivity, Immediate10aImmunoglobulin E10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aSkin Tests1 aSmith D L1 aBahna S L1 aGillis T P1 aClements B H00aAtopy and IgE in patients with leprosy.  a795-8000 v853 a<p>The atopic status of patients with leprosy was assessed by medical history, physical examination, serum total IgE, and specific IgE antibodies to common allergens (by skin testing and RAST). Tests for specific IgE antibody to Mycobacterium leprae were performed by RAST and immunoblotting technique. We studied 28 patients with leprosy and 49 control subjects. The two groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of atopic disease. The IgE level was significantly higher in the patients, however, than in the control subjects, whether there was atopy (296.1 versus 96.3 IU/ml) or not atopy (72.9 versus 18.9 IU/ml). Neither RAST nor immunoblotting technique detected significant levels of IgE antibodies to M. leprae. Our data indicate that leprosy was associated with increased total IgE level, but clinical atopy in patients with leprosy was similar to that in control subjects. The observed IgE increase in patients with leprosy appears to be generally nonspecific.</p>  a0091-6749