Immunohistochemical investigations of genital ulcers caused by Haemophilus ducreyi

To gain information on the specific composition of the inflammatory infiltrate of genital ulcers caused by Haemophilus ducreyi, biopsies of 6 genital ulcers which were diagnosed as chancroid on clinical and microbiological grounds were subjected to immunohistochemical investigations after conventional haematoxylineosin staining. A variety of antibodies reactive against B-and T-cells, plasma cells and granulocytes were used with each tissue sections. The lymphocytic infiltrate of chancroid ulcers consisted of both B-and T-lymphocytes and showed a cluster-like formation. B-lymphocytes were preferentially localized perivascularly in the middle layer, T-lymphocytes mainly in the deep layer of the inflamed oedematous tissue. Results stress the importance of both B-and T-cell mediated immune responses in Haemophilus ducreyi infection.