title: [Detection of antibodies to M. leprae in saliva of lepric patients].
abstract: Saliva of 116 lepric patients were scanned for antibodies in ELISA (with M. leprae cultivated in vitro used as antigen) in order to work out an invasion-free diagnostic tool for lepra. The ELISA findings for "saliva-serum" pairs from same patients showed an increased level of antibodies both in serum and saliva in 39.7% of cases, and matching of results (positive and negative ones) was observed in 73.3% of patients. The increasing level of specific antibodies as observed in intensification of the lepric process in blood serum occurred simultaneously with its increase in saliva. The invasion-free diagnostics of lepra is promising for examinations of contact persons and of population in endemic regions as well as for evaluating the efficiency of the antilepric therapy.
authors.forename: M Iu
authors.initials: MIu
authors.lastname: Iushin
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Diachina
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Bochanovskiĭ
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Iushchenko
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial