Monocyte suppression of antigen-specific lymphocyte responses in diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis patients from the Dominican Republic

Patients from the Dominican Republic with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis showed in vivo and in vitro anergy to leishmanial antigen. Relatives of these DCL patients living in the same endemic area frequently showed skin test and lymphocyte reactivity to leishmanial antigens. This further supports the concept of specific anergy in patients with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. Adherent suppressor cells modulate the antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferative response. Suppressor cells could also be isolated by Percoll gradient centrifugation. Co-culturing of lymphocytes and monocytes from HLA-identical leishmanin responders and nonresponders also identified the suppressor cell as a monocyte. In one patient, this suppression disappeared when clinical cure had been accomplished.