Mast cells in leprosy skin lesions

The density and distribution of mast cells was assessed in skin biopsies of 118 untreated leprosy cases and 20 healthy individuals taken as controls. Mast cells were present in only small numbers in the skin biopsies of healt hy individuals. Significantly higher mast cell counts were obtained in the skin lesions of indeterminate leprosy (P < 0.01). The mast cell count in th e tuberculoid group was significantly lower than that in the lepromatous gr oup (P < 0.05). The lepromatous group also showed increased mast cell degra nulation and altered morphology. The mast cell distribution in the skin bio psies of the two groups was, however, similar. The mast cell count in lepro sy is probably determined by the pattern of cytokines released hy the T lym phocytes. However, the influence of mast cells on the outcome of the diseas e needs to be evaluated further.