Our previous studies suggested that M. leprae (ML) grow in peripheral nerves and lepra cells because ML metabolize hyaluronic acid (HA), and use its component for their growth by the aid of host enzyme combined to the bacilli derived β-glucuronidase binding protein (BGBP). In this study, therefore, we examined the method to purify BGBP from a mycobacterium HI-75 originally separated from a leproma and cultured by modified Ogawa's medium containing split products of HA (glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine). The distribution of BGBP in leproma and the other lesions consisting of hepatitis B virus infected liver and M. avium-intracellulare infected lung tissue were also immunohistologically examined.
As the result, the best method to get BGBP was preparatory electrophoresis in the final step of the purification and not the molecular sieving.
The BGBP was actually proven in leproma and the other infected tissues as described, indicating the abilities of these microorganisms to utilize the metabolic machinery of the host with the similar ways to that of ML.

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For elimination of contaminants in a homogenate of nude-mouse footpad infected with M. leprae, the pretreatment with trypsin was tested. The results obtained indicated that the final sterile product was satisfactorily obtained, if the pretreatment with trypsin 0.0‰, 37°C, 60min to the homogenate was carried out before the treatment with sodium hydroxide ‰, 37°C, 15min. This procedure might contribute to make a suspension of partially purified M. leprae from the infected tissues, because both the treatments with trypsin and sodium hydroxide could eliminate the infected tissues surrounding M. leprae as well as any contaminants, except other mycobacteria, present in a tissue homogenate.

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By the advance of chemotherapy and aging of the inpatients with leprosy (mean age: 75.7 years), geriatric disease are becoming major problems in Japanese National Leprosarium. Dementia is not diagnosed inpatient with leprosy. After autopsy Alzheimer fibrillary tangle and senile plaques in the brain of aged leprosy is not easy demonstrated by routine stains. However, these is easy demonstrable a def f erent senile plaque with accretion to the Alzheimer f ibrillary tangle, if it employed the specific immunohistochemical method on these brain. We employed both τ protein and the divided β protein, and each of protein is able to divid dementia and non-dementia into aged groups in leprosy. Low prevalence in Japanese leprosy patients is demonstrable in dementia of what happened was accurate in alzheimer disease with subtype of senile plaque.

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We tried to apply the use of thermosplint to prevent or protect leprosy patient's wound from riskful factors in their living envirnment.
Among 40 patients of the use of thermosplint, 27 cases weared it on some places in their hands, and 17 cases did in foots. We observed that 31 cases of the wear of thermosplint had effect on prevention or improvement in their wound, but 3 cases did not.
Particularly good effect was obtained in 23 cases of the wear in their hand and 8 cases in foot. In 10 cases, however, we had to stop wearing it because of another damage or patient's uneasy.
We found it difficult to apply the use of thermosplint to the plantar ulcer. Some f acters such as histological and anatomical ones should be considered in more detail. Several problems of hindrances or inconveniences for daily life in wearing the thermosplint should be solved by further studies including devices for better application of the technique to the leprosy patients.
At any rate it should be stressed that both patients and nurses had taken interest in the cause of the injury and could had positively come to grips with prevent of it through this study.

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