Borderline tuberculoid Hansen's disease in AIDS.

Abstract

We performed an immunohistochemical analysis of a skin lesion from a patient with AIDS who had borderline tuberculoid Hansen's disease. We also evaluated other laboratory features and performed peripheral blood flow cytometric analysis. The in situ immunologic response to Mycobacterium leprae was minimally affected by concomitant infection and immunosuppression by HIV. The skin demonstrated the typical characteristics of borderline tuberculoid lesions. These results indicate that although a patient with HIV infection may have laboratory evidence typical of the immunosuppression seen in AIDS, the immunologic response to M. leprae is essentially unchanged.