title: Histopathological activity in paucibacillary leprosy patients after ROM therapy.
abstract: Histopathological activity was assessed in the skin tissue of 13 skin-smear negative, borderline tuberculoid leprosy patients after administration of a single dose of ROM (rifampin 600 mg, ofloxacin 400 mg and minocycline 100 mg) therapy. Biopsies taken just before therapy showed Mycobacterium leprae to be present in eight cases. After 6 months, only three showed granulomatous lesions and others showed only resolving or inactive lesions. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) persisted in the nerves of three cases. At the end of 12 months, granulomas persisted in 2 out of 13 (15%) patients. No bacilli, however, were detected in any of them at the end of 12 months. This study demonstrated that 12 months after a single dose of ROM granuloma cleared in 85% of the patients and AFB were absent in all of them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology and Experimental Pathology, Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Center, Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ebenezer
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Job
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008911:Minocycline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015242:Ofloxacin; D008911:Minocycline; D012293:Rifampin