Immune status of subsided cases of tuberculoid (TT) and borderline tuberculoid (BT) leprosy

A comparative study of lepromin reactions (early and late), M. leprae induced lymphocyte blastogenesis, per cent T Cell number in peripheral blood and immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA and IgM) levels have been made in TT-active, TT-subsided, BT-active and BT-subsided leprosy cases. No significant difference has been noted amongst these groups in the above mentioned investigations except in subsided BT cases where 9 out of 11 cases failed to evoke any late skin reaction to Dharmendra antigen. In addition, BT subsided cases also showed significantly raised levels of IgG. The significance of these findings with respect to their immunity and reinfection has been discussed.