The present report, which describes management of
lepromin-negative
borderline leprosy patients with low-dose
Convit vaccine, is an extension of our earlier study on the treatment of
lepromatous leprosy patients with low-dose
Convit vaccine as an adjunct to multidrug
therapy (MDT). The test Group I, consisting of 50
lepromin-negative,
borderline leprosy patients, were given low-dose
Convit vaccine plus MDT. The control group II consisted of 25
lepromin-negative,
borderline leprosy patients given BCG vaccination plus MDT and 25
lepromin-negative,
borderline leprosy patients given killed Mycobacterium leprae (human)
vaccine plus MDT. The control group III consisted of 50
lepromin-positive,
borderline leprosy patients not given any immunostimulation but given only MDT. Depending upon the
lepromin unresponsiveness, the patients were given one to four inoculations of the various antileprosy
vaccines and were followed up every 3 months for 2 years for clinical, bacteriological and immunological outcome. All patients belonging to the test and control groups showed clinical cure and bacteriological negativity within 2 years. However, immunologic potentiation, assessed by
lepromin testing and the leukocyte migration inhibition test (LMIT), was better in the test patients receiving low-dose
Convit vaccine plus MDT than in the control patients receiving
BCG vaccine plus MDT or killed M. leprae
vaccine plus MDT or MDT alone. But the capacity of clearance bacteria (CCB) test from the
lepromin granuloma showed poor bacterial clearance in the test patients. However, there was no relapse during 6 years of follow up. Two mid-borderline (BB) patients had severe reversal reactions with
lagophthalmos and
wrist drop during
immunotherapy despite being given low-dose
Convit vaccine.