Using a costimulant assay, in vitro Con A responses of patients across the leprosy spectrum were found to be markedly suppressed by phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I), a unique antigen of M. leprae. The degree of inducible suppression as well as the number of leprosy patients showing suppression of mitogenic responses was higher with PGL-I as compared with integral M. leprae (p less than 0.05 to less than 0.01). Both untreated lepromatous (60%) as well as tuberculoid leprosy (67%) patients showed significant suppression ranging from 13 to 64% and 12 to 79%, respectively. Thus, PGL-I appears to have a universal suppressive effect on Con A responses and is unlikely to play a central role in determining the leprosy spectrum.
BT - The Journal of experimental medicine C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3540178?dopt=Abstract DA - 1987 Jan 01 DO - 10.1084/jem.165.1.239 IS - 1 J2 - J. Exp. Med. LA - eng N2 -Using a costimulant assay, in vitro Con A responses of patients across the leprosy spectrum were found to be markedly suppressed by phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I), a unique antigen of M. leprae. The degree of inducible suppression as well as the number of leprosy patients showing suppression of mitogenic responses was higher with PGL-I as compared with integral M. leprae (p less than 0.05 to less than 0.01). Both untreated lepromatous (60%) as well as tuberculoid leprosy (67%) patients showed significant suppression ranging from 13 to 64% and 12 to 79%, respectively. Thus, PGL-I appears to have a universal suppressive effect on Con A responses and is unlikely to play a central role in determining the leprosy spectrum.
PY - 1987 SP - 239 EP - 44 T2 - The Journal of experimental medicine TI - Phenolic glycolipid-I of Mycobacterium leprae induces general suppression of in vitro concanavalin A responses unrelated to leprosy type. VL - 165 SN - 0022-1007 ER -