Influence of chemotherapy and serum factors on the mitogenic response of peripheral leucocytes of leprosy patients to phytohaemagglutinin.

Mitogenic response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) of peripheral leucocytes from patients with polar forms of leprosy namely lepromatous leprosy (LL) and tuberculoid leprosy (TT) has been evaluated. No defect in blast transformation as assessed by the incorporation of (3)H-thymidine into DNA was observed in tuberculoid leprosy patients. In lepromatous leprosy patients, the response varied with the status of the patient. Leucocytes from untreated cases of lepromatous leprosy showed a depressed response to PHA, whereas the leucocytes from patients treated with diaminodiphenylsulphone (DDS) gave an enhanced response. While the functional deficit was manifest in cells, the plasma factors were found to be contributory agents to the type of response elicited. Factors influencing the transformation of peripheral leucocytes have also been studied.