Tissue response to lepromin, an index of susceptibility of the armadillo to M. leprae infection--a preliminary report.

In this preliminary report the histopathological appearance of the lepromin reaction in armadillos was correlated with their response to infection with M. leprae. Three different types of lepromin response were described, namely the lepromatous, the borderline, and the tuberculoid lepromin reactions. It was found that 10 out of the 11 animals with a lepromatous lepromin reaction and the one animal with a borderline lepromin reaction developed disseminated disease. The two with a tuberculoid lepromin reaction and one of the 11 with a lepromatous lepromin reaction failed to develop leprosy. It is suggested that by using the lepromin response it is possible to assess, to a great extent, the susceptibility of armadillos to infection by M. laprae. The pros and cons of using the armadillo as an animal model for a vaccine trial are briefly discussed.