title: Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA for 36kDa protein in urine from leprosy patients: a preliminary report.
abstract: We have searched for Mycobacterium leprae DNA for 36kDa protein in urine using a M. leprae specific PCR technique. A limited number of 16 patients (of which 11 belonged to lepromatous leprosy and five to tuberculoid leprosy) and eight healthy individuals were included for the present study. The number of urine samples positive by PCR were 36.4% (4/11) in lepromatous patients and 40% (2/5) in tuberculoid patients. None of the samples from healthy individuals was positive. To our knowledge, the results indicate, for the first time, the presence of M. leprae DNA in urine from leprosy patients. Another important finding obtained out of the study is that amongst treated patients 66.6% (4/6) were positive whereas amongst untreated only 20% (2/10) were positive. From the present indicative data it appears that treatment improves the PCR results with urine as a sample. Thus, the approach could prove to be useful for monitoring the treatment response of individual patients and needs to be further evaluated with a large number of patients.
authors.affiliation: Central JALMA Institute for Leprosy & other Mycobacterial Diseases, TajGanj, Algra-l, India. op_v3@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Om
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parkash
authors.forename: Hari Bhan
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Subha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Archna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Vishwa Mohan
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Katoch
authors.forename: Bhawneshwar Kumar
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Girdhar
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial