title: [Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA in nasal swab].
abstract: Studies have demonstrated high sensibility of the polimerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in the identification of the Mycobacterium leprae DNA . This study aimed to evalue the PCR sensibility at the detection of the M. leprae DNA in nasal swab of leprosy patients and to compare the results with the bacilloscopy and multibacillary (MBs) and paucibacilares (PBs) forms. Nasal secretion samples of 24 leprosy patients were collected, and were preserved in one and two lise's solution. The PCR results were highly significant (p <0.0000) and they revealed grater sensibility than bacilloscopy, in several clinical forms. Nevertheless, still different studies are necessary, testing new markers and preservatives, with the purpose of lifting up the sensibility of this technique, in nasal secretion samples.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA.
authors.forename: Ana Rosa Botelho
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Pontes
authors.forename: Maria das Graças Carvalho
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Marília Brasil
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Juarez Antonio Simões
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Quaresma
authors.forename: Edna Aoba
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Yassui
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial