[Morphologic characteristics of leproma cell cultures from humans and experimental animals and the effect on them of antileprotic preparations].

Leproma pieces obtained from leprosy patients and M. leprae-infected animals were cultivated by the method of primary explantation. It is noted that the development of a monolayer from macrophages overloaded with M. leprae is a characteristic common to the lepromas of various origin. Antileprosy activity of the drugs under study was assessed by the rate of decrease in mycobacterial load of macrophages. Species features of cultivated lepromas from man, nine-banded armadillo and mouse are characterised. While cultivating lepromas from leprosy patients the peculiarities of tissue culture organization are found out representing immune status and prognosis of specific therapy.