title: Anti-ceramide antibodies in leprosy: marker for nerve damage?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease primarily affecting the peripheral nervous system and skin. Multibacillary leprosy is associated with nerve damage which could contribute to myelin alteration. As ceramide is a constituent of myelin sheath, the present study aimed to compare anti-ceramide antibody titre in paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy patients with controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of anti-ceramide antibody were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in 50 leprosy patients (25 paucibacillary and 25 multibacillary) and 25 healthy controls. Results were reported in OD units as mean +/- SD and analyzed by Chi square test (significance at p < 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients suffering from multibacillary leprosy had significantly higher anti-ceramide antibody serum levels compared to paucibacillary leprosy patients and healthy controls (p < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since nerve damage is the most debilitating effect of leprosy, the search for a serum marker for assessing nerve damage is required in countries where leprosy is still widespread. In multibacillary leprosy patients, the role of anti-ceramide antibody as a marker for nerve damage should be explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Maulana Azad Medical College and LN Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Kalpana
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Bhawna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Prakash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002518:Ceramides / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009420:Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D002518:Ceramides