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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
DNA Fingerprinting of Mycobacterium leprae Strains Using Variable Number Tandem Repeat VNTR - Fragment Length Analysis FLA
Published on: July 15, 2011
Transcriptional changes that characterize the immune reactions of leprosy
Kathryn M Dupnik1, Thomas B Bair2, Andressa O Maia3
1Division of Infectious Diseases and Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.
Background:
Leprosy morbidity is increased by 2 pathologic immune reactions, reversal reaction (RR) and erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL).
Methods:
To discover host factors related to immune reactions, global transcriptional profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were compared between 11 RR, 11 ENL, and 19 matched control patients, with confirmation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Encoded proteins were investigated in skin biopsy specimens by means of immunohistochemistry.
Results:
There were 275 genes differentially expressed in RR and 517 differentially expressed in ENL on the microarray. Pathway analysis showed immunity-related pathways represented in RR and ENL transcriptional profiles, with the "complement and coagulation" pathway common to both. Interferon γ was identified as a significant upstream regulator of the expression changes for RR and ENL. Immunohistochemical staining of skin lesions showed increased C1q in both RR and ENL.
Conclusions:
These data suggest a previously underrecognized role for complement in the pathogenesis of both RR and ENL, and we propose new hypotheses for reaction pathogenesis.
