Peripheral blood monocyte function in leprosy patients.

The activities of monocytes from lepromatous (LL) and tuberculoid (TT) leprosy patients were studied in a variety of in vitro systems. In assays of receptor activity, increased densities of Fc and C3b receptor sites were observed in monocytes of LL and TT patients as compared to normals. No differences were observed between the polar forms of the disease. Similar results were obtained in the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test. Glucosamine incorporation by monocytes from LL and TT patients was not significantly different from that by monocytes from normal controls. A diminished monocyte spontaneous migration and chemotactic activity to lymphocyte derived chemotactic factor (LDCF) was found in both forms of the disease. Plasma inhibitory factor of monocyte chemotaxis was more evident in the lepromatous form of the disease.