Korean J Dermatol.
1978 Aug;16(4):281-287.
A Study on Normal Lymphocyte Transfer Test in Patients with Leprosy
Abstract
- Normal lymphocyte transfer (NLT) test is composed of two peaks of delaycd. hypersensitivity reaction of erythema and/or induration developed at the site of intradermal inoculatioa of allogenic lymphocyte. It has been suggested that NLT test is a px.siblc homograft raaction, how var tlv exact mecha.nism is remained to be resolved. In leprosy, there has been accumulating evidenc. indicating defective cell mediated. immunity detected by varioua immunological tests. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the immune capability of patients with leprosy using NLT test. A total of 20 hea,lthy volunteers, 20 lepromatous and 22 tuberculoid leprosy patients who were under antileprosy chemotherapy with DDS for varying periods, entered this study. Lymphocytes from hepatitis associati antigen (HAA) negative donor were isolated with Ficoll- Hypaque density gradient method and the cell concentration was adjusted by normal saline so as to give 2, 5 million cells per 0. 1 ml. Each recipient was given 0. 1 ml lymphocyte suspension on the flexor surface of th right forearm intrad.ermally using 1 ml tuberculi n syringe with a 26 gauge needle. The appearance and the size of induration was checked daily for 2 weeks. In this atudy, the NLT reaction pattem was classified as follows: a. normal pattem showing the first peak and second peak of reaction. b. first peak only showing the first peak, but no second peak, of reaction. c. flat pattem showing neitger the first peak nor the second peak of reaction The results were as follows: 1. There were normal pattem in sixteen persons(80%) and first peak only in 4 persons(20%) among twenty healthy human volunteers. 2. There were normal pattem in four patients(20%), first peak only in six patients(30%) and flat pattem in ten patients(50%) among twenty letromatous leprosy patients. 3. There were normal pattem in twelve patients(54.5%), first peak only in eight patients(36.4%) and flat pattem in two patients(9.1%) among twenty-two tuberouloid leprosy patients. These findings suggest that NLT test may be useful in evaluating the immune capability in leprosy and host factor in belived to be important in the development of both first and second peaks of NLT test.
