01679nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653001900065653002000084653001500104653001700119653001100136653003500147653001100182653002700193653001300220653001200233653001300245100001300258700001700271700001400288245007200302300001200374490000700386520097000393022001401363       1988                            d  c1988 May10aAdult10aAutoantibodies10aCells, Cultured10aColchicine10aCytoskeleton10aFemale10aFluorescent Antibody Technique10aHumans10aIntermediate Filaments10aKeratins10aleprosy10aVimentin1 aFrey F L1 aGottlieb A B1 aLevis W R00aA patient with lepromatous leprosy and anticytoskeletal antibodies.  a1179-840 v183 a<p>Sera from 34 patients with lepromatous leprosy were screened for the presence of autoantibodies by indirect immunofluorescence using two epithelial cell lines, PTK2 and HEp2, as substrates. Indirect immunofluorescence staining of both substrates with the serum of a patient with lepromatous leprosy revealed a cytoplasmic intermediate filament staining pattern. After exposure of PTK2 cells to colchicine, the filaments collapsed into thick perinuclear coils, confirming the presence of intermediate filament reactivity. Immunofluorescence of rat fibroblasts with the same serum also revealed an intermediate filamentous staining pattern. Human keratinocytes exposed to the patient's serum revealed a diffuse cytoplasmic staining pattern. Our study suggests the presence of autoantibodies to cytoskeletal intermediate filaments or to molecules associated with vimentin and possibly keratin subunit proteins in the serum of a patient with lepromatous leprosy.</p>  a0190-9622