Abstract
In order to know the effect of Rifampicin (RFP) on immunological state of leprosy, the sera of lepromatous patients treated with the combined use of RFP and DDS were examined at 3 months intervals, for a period of one year, by the following tests : fluorescent leprosy antibody absorption (FLA-ABS) test, Leproagglutination, i.e., an agglutination of kaolin particles coated with cardiolipin-lecithin (1:1) and the electrophoresis on cellulose-acetate membrane.
The antibody-titer of FLA-ABS test dropped temporarily during the treatment and then tended to rise at 12th month. Such a fall of antibody-titer was more conspicuous in the patients who caused ENL under the treatment than in the cases without ENL. The titer of Leproagglutination test showed similar temporary fall in the latter cases, but not in ENL cases. In 2 cases of patients who caused borderline reaction under the treatment, FLA-ABS titer was on the decline after the reaction subsided. Immunoglobulins M and G were found to participate in this test and the titer of respective immunoglobulins underwent similar changes as described above.
Among serum protein fractions only α2-globulin showed temporary drop of the level in the cases without ENL. No significant difference was found in lepromin reactions examined before and after the treatment. The implcations of these findings were discussed from a view-point on immunology of leprosy.
