[Familial analysis of the in vitro behavior of human macrophages against Mycobacterium leprae].

Abstract

The lysogenic capacity of human macrophages facing M. leprae in vitro may be dependent on an important genetic component. Although the family aggregation of the trait is demonstrated, this is a necessary but not sufficient condition to prove genetic influence. The data do not fit some simple genetic models (autosomal dominant or incompletely dominant gene; dominant or recessive sex-linked gene). The results obtained are consistent with the hypothesis that the macrophages' lysogenic capacity is mainly due to a major gene with variable expressivity. This hypothesis may be too simple to account for the whole variability detected and therefore must be considered just as a working hypothesis.