Status of T and B lymphocytes in peripheral blood

T and B lymphocyte percentage was studied by Erythrocyte (E) and Erythrocyte antibody complement (EAC) rosette formation respectively in 90 cases including 65 cases of different types of leprosy and 25 healthy controls. The patient with different types of leprosy were classified according to Ridley and Jopling (1962). The mean percentage of T-lymphocyte was observed in gradually decreasing manner from tuberculoid pole to lepromatous pole. The fall in T-lymphocyte percentage was highly significant when control cases were compared with total cases of leprosy and different histological types of leprosy. This indicates that there is a gradually increasing loss of cell mediated immune response from tuberculoid to lepromatous pole.