Since the discovery of the leprosy bacillus, cultivable mycobacteria were regularly found in lepratic tissues of humans and armadillos. Unpublished data indicate that Professor Hugo Preisz isolated and collected several cultures of unidentified cultivable strains of mycobacteria from leprosy sufferers. Recent findings suggest that Mycobacterium leprae is a microbe-dependent, mycobactin-deficient microorganism. The author proposes the concept that secondary mycobacteria found in leprosy cases are ethilogical cofactors in the pathogenesis of leprosy. Since secondary mycobacteria are rich in mycobactin, it is suggested that they provide the essential mycobactin for growth multiplication and virulence for the mycobactin deficient leprosy bacilli. The implications of this concept are discussed.
BT - Acta leprologica C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2831691?dopt=Abstract DA - 1987 Oct-Dec IS - 4 J2 - Acta Leprol LA - eng N2 -Since the discovery of the leprosy bacillus, cultivable mycobacteria were regularly found in lepratic tissues of humans and armadillos. Unpublished data indicate that Professor Hugo Preisz isolated and collected several cultures of unidentified cultivable strains of mycobacteria from leprosy sufferers. Recent findings suggest that Mycobacterium leprae is a microbe-dependent, mycobactin-deficient microorganism. The author proposes the concept that secondary mycobacteria found in leprosy cases are ethilogical cofactors in the pathogenesis of leprosy. Since secondary mycobacteria are rich in mycobactin, it is suggested that they provide the essential mycobactin for growth multiplication and virulence for the mycobactin deficient leprosy bacilli. The implications of this concept are discussed.
PY - 1987 SP - 265 EP - 70 T2 - Acta leprologica TI - The leprosy bacillus: a microbe-dependent microbe. VL - 5 SN - 0001-5938 ER -