01913nas a2200277   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002800055653001100083653002100094653001200115653002500127653002500152653000900177653001800186100001300204700001500217700001200232700001100244700001300255245009200268300001100360490000700371520124300378022001401621       1989                            d  c1989 Oct10aAdministration, Topical10aHumans10aInterferon-gamma10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aRecombinant Proteins10aSkin10aT-Lymphocytes1 aKaplan G1 aMathur N K1 aJob C K1 aNath I1 aCohn Z A00aEffect of multiple interferon gamma injections on the disposal of Mycobacterium leprae.  a8073-70 v863 a<p>The effect of multiple intradermal injections (four to six) of 10 micrograms of interferon gamma on the number of Mycobacterium leprae in the skin of patients with polar lepromatous leprosy and borderline lepromatous leprosy was evaluated. To achieve a maximum zone of induration and cell emigration a preparatory dose of the lymphokine was required. A second group of three injections, given 3-4 days after the initial series, resulted in lesser degrees of induration and was more in keeping with a partial local hyporesponsive state. A marked emigration of T cells and monocytes into the dermis resulted from injections of interferon gamma and persisted for greater than 21 days. A preponderance of CD4+ cells in the infiltrate was seen within a few days and CD4/CD8 ratios remained elevated for greater than 5 weeks. The bacillary load of injected sites evaluated 21 days after lymphokine administration was reduced in 14/17 patients by factors ranging from 5- to 1000-fold. This occurred predominantly within diffuse lesions and occurred rarely in nodular sites. Biopsy samples of injected sites taken 6 months later demonstrated progressive 10-fold reductions in bacilli and the continued presence of a granulomatous response.</p>  a0027-8424