A possible dysfunction of melanosome transfer in leprosy: an electron-microscopic study

An E.M. study was carried out to investigate whether Mycobacterium leprae occur intracellularly in epidermal melanocytes. As this could not be confirmed, the selective killing of melanocytes by cytotoxic lymphocytes could not explain the hypopigmentation in types of leprosy with a relative good immune response. There were indications that these hypopigmented lesions resulted from a disturbed transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to keratinocytes. Further research is in progress.