Experimental Murine Leprosy

Abstract

Sera from C3H and C57BL mice infected with Mycobacterium lepraemurium (MLM) and from human leprosy patients were examined for antibodies against MLM by a crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) technique. Altogether antibodies against six or seven MLM antigens were found in the mouse sera. After a small inoculum of MLM, C3H mice produced more antibodies than C57BL mice. After a large inoculum both strains produced about the same amount of antibodies but showed qualitative differences in their response patterns. A serum pool from patients with lepromatous leprosy contained antibodies against six MLM antigens; five of these were identical with the antigens against which antibodies were found in infected mice. C57BL mice that had lost their delayed-type hypersensitivity to MLM during the course of a disseminated infection showed a fairly strong antibody response to three antigens and a weak response to three others. Since almost the same spectrum of antibodies, although in lower titres, could be demonstrated in C57BL mice with intact delayed-type hypersensitivity to the bacilli, these antibodies did not seem to interfere with the expression of cell-mediated immunity.