LEPROSY - THE DICHOTOMOUS DISEASE

Leprosy is an infectious disease, the development and clinical progres sion of which depend on the host immunological behavior. In this revie w we describe the general features of leprosy and review the current k nowledge on immunology. In particular, this article focuses on the fea tures of the host-parasite interaction and the manner of adaptation of Mycobacterium leprae to the host environment, an understanding of whi ch provides an insight into the pathogenesis of leprosy.