Detection of phenolic glycolipid-I antigen and antibody in sera from new and relapsed lepromatous patients treated with various drug regimens.
Since phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) is an unequivocal marker of Mycobacterium leprae, the antigen has been a good candidate for the serodiagnosis and monitoring the effectiveness of leprosy chemotherapy. As an effort to define the kinetics of the PGL-I antigen and its antibodies in leprosy patients, this study was initiated to examine the serum specimens obtained serially from lepromatous patients under chemotherapy trials. PGL-I was detectable in 64 (94.1%) of 68 new lepromatous (bacterial index, BI = 3.2 to 5.8) and in 26 (78.8%) of 33 relapsed lepromatous patients (BI = 3.0 to 5.3). Meanwhile, virtually all of the new and relapsed patients were strongly seropositive to PGL-I. PGL-I was not detectable in any of the patients about 18 months after chemotherapy was initiated; however, anti-PGL-I reactivity declined by 50% at 2 years and by about 70% at 5 years after chemotherapy regardless of the drug regimens under study. Considering the rapid disappearance of the PGL-I antigen and steady decrease in anti-PGL-I IgM antibodies following chemotherapy, the PGL-I-based serology may be useful for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment, at both the early and late stages, in leprosy patients whose initial sera contain a significant level of PGL-I antigen or antibodies.
Cho
S N
SN
Department of Microbiology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Cellona
R V
RV
Fajardo
T T
TT
Abalos
R M
RM
dela Cruz
E C
EC
Walsh
G P
GP
Kim
J D
JD
Brennan
P J
PJ
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007917:Leprostatic Agents; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae