TY - JOUR KW - Antitubercular Agents KW - Bacterial Vaccines KW - BCG Vaccine KW - Biopsy KW - Combined Modality Therapy KW - Humans KW - Leprosy, lepromatous KW - Lymphocytes KW - Mycobacterium KW - Pilot Projects KW - Severity of Illness Index KW - Vaccines, Inactivated AU - Natarajan M AU - Katoch K AU - Bagga A K AU - Katoch V M AB -

Highly bacillated untreated lepromatous cases with an initial BI 4+ of to 6+ were treated with combined multidrug treatment (MDT) and immunotherapy with heat killed Mycobacterium w or BCG. The vaccines were administered intradermally every six months. It was observed that majority of cases on immunotherapy showed increased lymphocytic infiltration (both at local and distant sites) and some cases showed epithelioid cells as well. The lymphocytic infiltration was (slightly) more vigorous in those vaccinated with Mycobacterium w. Such changes were not seen in the patients on MDT alone. Also, the granuloma fraction reduced much faster in cases who were on additional immunotherapy as compared to those on MDT alone. These changes along with evidence of clinical and bacteriological improvements suggest that immunotherapy may have an important supportive role specially in the therapy of anergic lepromatous cases.

BT - Acta leprologica C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1293915?dopt=Abstract DA - 1992 IS - 2 J2 - Acta Leprol LA - eng N2 -

Highly bacillated untreated lepromatous cases with an initial BI 4+ of to 6+ were treated with combined multidrug treatment (MDT) and immunotherapy with heat killed Mycobacterium w or BCG. The vaccines were administered intradermally every six months. It was observed that majority of cases on immunotherapy showed increased lymphocytic infiltration (both at local and distant sites) and some cases showed epithelioid cells as well. The lymphocytic infiltration was (slightly) more vigorous in those vaccinated with Mycobacterium w. Such changes were not seen in the patients on MDT alone. Also, the granuloma fraction reduced much faster in cases who were on additional immunotherapy as compared to those on MDT alone. These changes along with evidence of clinical and bacteriological improvements suggest that immunotherapy may have an important supportive role specially in the therapy of anergic lepromatous cases.

PY - 1992 SP - 79 EP - 86 T2 - Acta leprologica TI - Histological changes with combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy in highly bacillated lepromatous leprosy. VL - 8 SN - 0001-5938 ER -