The cellular content of dermal leprous granulomas: an immuno-histological approach.

An indirect immunofluorescence technique with monoclonal antibodies has been used to identify T cells, T helper cells, T suppressor cells, and granulocytes in the dermal granulomas of 22 patients with leprosy. In tuberculoid leprosy, T helper cells predominated and T suppressor cells were located at the periphery of well-circumscribed granulomas. In lepromatous leprosy, the two subsets of T cells were numerous in treated patients. In ENL lesions, T cells were more numerous and T helper cells predominated. Enumerations of the T cell subsets in the dermis and in the blood showed similar changes, but these changes were quantitatively more marked in the dermal granulomas.