2 research outputs found
Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA by Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Blood of Individuals, Eight Years after Completion of Anti-leprosy Therapy
Thirty eight patients with indeterminate leprosy (HI), at least 4 to 6
years after discharge from multibacillary (MB) or paucibacillary (PB)
schemes of anti leprosy multidrug therapy (MDT), were submitted to
traditional diagnostic procedures for leprosy and to polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) analysis of different clinical samples for detection of
Mycobacterium leprae DNA. No significant difference was observed for
any of the parameters analyzed between PB or MB schemes of treatment
and no indications were found for more efficient outcome of HI using
the MB scheme. Remarkably, 18 (54.5%) of the individuals were PCR
positive in at least one of the samples: positivity of PCR was highest
in blood samples and four individuals were PCR positive in blood and
some other sample. Upon comparison of PCR results with clinical and
histopathological parameters, no correlation was found between
PCR-positivity and eventual relapse. This is the first report on
detection of M. leprae DNA in PB patients, more than half a decade
after completion of MDT, suggesting that live bacilli are present and
circulating much longer than expected, although reinfection of the
individuals can not be excluded. Overall, we feel that because of the
high sensitivity of the assay, extreme care should be taken about
association of PCR results, efficacy of treatment and disease status