Medknow Publications on behalf of The Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL)
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Altered serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels
have been recorded in various diseases involving lymphocytes and/or
lymphoreticular system including leprosy. The study was planned to
evaluate alterations in serum ADA levels, if any, in reactional and
non-reactional leprosy. METHODS: Eighty patients of leprosy,
comprising 60 patients of non-reactional leprosy and 20 patients of
reactional leprosy were studied along with 20 normal healthy controls.
Five milliliters of venous blood was collected and ADA levels were
estimated by the method of Giusti (1974). RESULTS: There were 54
males and 26 females. The age of the patients ranged from 5 years to 62
years. The duration of leprosy ranged from 15 days to 3 years. The mean
serum ADA level in normal controls was 10.31 \ub1 0.58 u/L. The serum
ADA levels were raised in leprosy patients, significantly so in
multibacillary patients. The serum ADA levels were higher in patients
of leprosy with reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed significantly
high serum ADA levels in multibacillary leprosy and this was further
increased in patients of leprosy with reaction. This may be because of
increased lymphoreticular activity during the reactional phases