Possible transmission of Mycobacterium leprae in a group of UK leprosy contacts.
A case of infectious leprosy in residential accommodation in the UK prompted a study of the cellular and humoral response to Mycobacterium leprae in two groups of individuals who were in contact with the index case for almost a year. In the younger staff group (mean age 44 years) 23 of 30 individuals had positive Mitsuda skin tests, 25 showed lymphocyte transformation to a soluble sonciate of M leprae and 2 had slightly raised IgM antibody concentrations to the terminal disaccharide of M leprae phenolic glycolipid-1. In the older group of residents (mean age 83 years) 7 of 36 individuals were skin-test positive, 25 of 33 were positive by lymphocyte transformation, but none had raised antibody levels. When retested on two further occasions, the same 2 individuals in the younger group still had raised antibody concentrations, 1 of whom had a persistent lepromin skin-test response for over 8 months and showed a pronounced increase in lymphocyte transformation to mycobacterial antigens. The findings suggest that transmission of M leprae may have occurred in these 2 contacts, who were therefore given 6 months' chemoprophylaxis with rifampicin.
Department of Clinical Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK.
H M
HM
Dockrell
H
H
Eastcott
S
S
Young
A
A
MacFarlane
R
R
Hussain
M F
MF
Waters
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D016358:Contact Tracing; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007916:Lepromin; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology; D012112:Residential Facilities; D006113:United Kingdom
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae; D007916:Lepromin