Immunoreactivity in vitro to Human Testis in Patients with Lepromatous Leprosy*

Abstract

Patients with lepromatous leprosy and tuber‐culoid leprosy, together with normal aged matched controls, were tested for in vitro immunoreactivity against a panel of soluble extracts prepared from normal human tissues. The panel consisted of a soluble homogenate of human testis as well as two partially purified fractions of this extract, and control extracts from other human tissues. Immunoreactivity was assessed by extract induced peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) transformation, leucocyte migration inhibition (LMI) and leucocyte adherence inhibition (LAI). Although no difference in PBL transformation, LMI, or LA1 was obtained between the groups with the control tissue extracts, significant reactivity was obtained for the patients with lepromatous leprosy in at least one of the in vitro tests, when one of the testis extracts was used (Mann‐Whitney test). No such reactivity to the testis extracts was obtained in the patients with tuberculoid leprosy or the normal control subjects. Of the twenty‐two patients studied with lepromatous leprosy, thirteen had clinical evidence of testicular disease and nine of these patients had raised PBL transformation and LAI reactivity to the testis extracts. This finding of immunoreactivity against testicular extracts in a significant number of patients with lepromatous leprosy by at least one of the in vitro tests used, suggests that the associated in vivo testicular atrophy that occurs in these patients may have an autoimmune basis.

Hypogonadism in leprosy males

“…15,16 In addition, both humoral and cellular immune components are involved in the pathogenesis of orchitis in leprosy. 7,17 The hormone serum levels reported here are in accordance with the studies that reported increased plasmatic levels of LH and FSH and decreased levels of FT in patients with leprosy. 6,18 Under physiological conditions, serum LH levels in men are kept within a range, due the balance between stimulation by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone and inhibition by gonadal sex steroids.…”

Pituitary–gonadal hormones and interleukin patterns in leprosy

“…1976; Saporta & Yuksel 1994). In addition, previous studies demonstrating testicular germinal cell antibodies, dense lymphocytic infiltrates and autoreactive lymphocytes against testicular extracts in lepromatous orchitis suggest that both humoral and cellular immune components are involved in the pathogenesis of orchitis in leprosy (Wall & Wright 1974; Wall & Walters 1981). To our knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate the relationship between pituitary–gonadal hormones and inflammatory cytokines pattern in leprosy.…”