| Abstract | Immunotherapy with Mycobacterium w vaccine was attempted in patients with borderline-borderline, borderline lepromatous (BL), or lepromatous leprosy (LL) to determine whether immunization can hasten recovery and reduce treatment time by invigorating cell-mediated immunity. Mycobacterium w, a nonpathogenic, rapidly growing, atypical mycobacterium, shares a number of common B and T cell determinants with Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Patients receiving the vaccine had rapid clinical improvement and accelerated bacteriologic clearance. After treatment with vaccine for 2 years, 13 of 31 BL and LL patients were bacteriologically negative as were 5 of 25 controls. Vaccinated patients had one of two distinct histologic features, either an upgrading in the disease spectrum or complete clearance of granuloma. Some 80% of lepromin conversions were in BL and LL patients who received vaccine versus none and 14.3% of BL and LL controls, respectively. Thirteen of 17 vaccinated LL patients were released from treatment after 2 years in contrast to 2 of 15 controls. |
| Authors | S A Zaheer, R Mukherjee, B Ramkumar, R S Misra, A K Sharma, H K Kar, H Kaur, S Nair, A Mukherjee, G P Talwar
(Affiliation: Microbiology Division, National Institute of Immunology, Jit Singh Marg, New Delhi, India.)
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| Journal | The Journal of infectious diseases
(J Infect Dis)
Vol. 167
Issue 2
Pg. 401-10
(Feb 1993)
ISSN: 0022-1899 UNITED STATES |
| PMID | 8421173
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
|
| Chemical References |
- Bacterial Vaccines
- Leprostatic Agents
- anti-leprosy vaccine
|
| Topics |
- Bacterial Vaccines
(therapeutic use)
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Follow-Up Studies
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Active
- Leprostatic Agents
(therapeutic use)
- Leprosy, Borderline
(drug therapy, therapy)
- Leprosy, Lepromatous
(drug therapy, therapy)
- Mycobacteria, Atypical
(immunology)
- Skin
(pathology)
- Treatment Outcome
|
