[The reaction of cultured mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of patients with lepromatous leprosy to rabbit interleukin-1].

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) obtained from leukocytes of rabbit peritoneal exudate was added to concanavalin A-stimulated cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from healthy donors and patients with lepromatous lepra at the active stage of the process. The comitogenic effect of IL-1, observed in the process of its action on mononuclear donor cells, has been found to be linked with the presence of the state of leprous reaction in the patient and is not manifested in the absence of such state. This indicates that intercellular cooperation processes mediated by IL-1 play some role both in the mechanisms of immunodepression in lepra and in the pathogenesis of leprous reactions connected with the activation of cell immunity.