Leprosy: skin
- SB Lucas
- Digital Images
- Online
Selected images from this work
View 1 imageAbout this work
Description
Borderline tuberculoid (BT) leprosy: skin
This is a medium power view of a skin section from a patient with BT. It shows brown HLA-DR staining in macrophages and in the epidermis. Immunostain with monoclonal antibody 1B5.
This epidermal staining is not normal. HLA-DR expression by the epidermal cells has been switched on by secretion of cytokines from the underlying granulomatous inflammation. Lymphocytes react to the presence of Mycobacterium leprae antigen by secreting interferon-gamma, which up-regulates HLA-DR expression.
A similar mechanism may underlie type 1 reaction.
See images W003367 and W003367 for H&E stained sections from this patient.