Complement Deviation in leprosy

Abstract

1. - Complement deviation in leprosy with defacted Streptotrix leproides Deicke has a definite value not only for thediagnosis of the disease but also under the standpoint of both treatment and prognosis. 2. - In early cases it gives an indication of the infectious condition of the patient, and has a greater value when there are no clear clinicai manifestations. 3. - In such circumstances the strong or very strong positive reaction indicates the seriousness of the case. 4. - The treatment of these patients results in an aggravation of the disease when it does not change their condition. 5. - The degree of the reaction always follows the importance of the symptoms. 6· - The complement continues to be deviate in those cases treated during a long period of time, which do not show an aggravation of the disease in certain conditions (as child birth). 7. - This fact certainly depends upon a general immunity developed during the treatment. 8. - A number of cases both suspicious and normal, having no signs of leprosy, which had a positive 9. - Severa! early cases having a negative reaction are comparable to cases of cutaneous tuberculosis in which the production of anticorps in blood is not observed. 10. - The production of anticorps depends not only on the fixation of the bacillus by the cells of the organism, that is the bacillocellular reaction, but on the quantity of bacilli present in the case. 11. - Based on these facts it is impossible to affirm that an individual having had a frustrous form of leprosy, or another having been treated at beginning of the first clinicai signs, and having a negative sorological reaction are immunized against the disease.