While studying circulating immune complexes (CIC) in the sera of lepromatous patients by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation technique, we found (by light microscopy) abundant acid-fast bacilli (AFB), morphologically similar to those seen in slit skin smear preparations from these patients, precipitated with the PEG precipitated materials. Both solid and non-solid AFB could be readily identified. Ultrastructures of these AFB in the PEG aggregates showed some similarity with those detected in the PEG precipitates prepared from armadillo-derived lepromin under identical conditions. The most striking difference between the AFB in the test sera and that in the armadillo-derived lepromin was the absence of any transverse band in the former. This suggested that the AFB in the patients' circulation were not in division stage. Furthermore, electron-dense material were deposited on the AFB co-precipitated from the patients' sera, which were not found on the AFB co-precipitated from the armadillo-derived lepromin.
BT - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6362119?dopt=Abstract CN - SAHA 1983 DA - 1983 DO - 10.1016/0035-9203(83)90196-7 IS - 5 J2 - Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. LA - eng N2 -While studying circulating immune complexes (CIC) in the sera of lepromatous patients by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation technique, we found (by light microscopy) abundant acid-fast bacilli (AFB), morphologically similar to those seen in slit skin smear preparations from these patients, precipitated with the PEG precipitated materials. Both solid and non-solid AFB could be readily identified. Ultrastructures of these AFB in the PEG aggregates showed some similarity with those detected in the PEG precipitates prepared from armadillo-derived lepromin under identical conditions. The most striking difference between the AFB in the test sera and that in the armadillo-derived lepromin was the absence of any transverse band in the former. This suggested that the AFB in the patients' circulation were not in division stage. Furthermore, electron-dense material were deposited on the AFB co-precipitated from the patients' sera, which were not found on the AFB co-precipitated from the armadillo-derived lepromin.
PY - 1983 SP - 660 EP - 4 T2 - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene TI - A quick method of demonstrating bacillaemia in patients with lepromatous leprosy and ultrastructural studies of the circulating acid-fast bacilli. VL - 77 SN - 0035-9203 ER -