title: Early detection of leprosy by examination of household contacts, determination of serum anti-PGL-1 antibodies and consanguinity.
abstract: A cross-sectional clinical trial in which the serum anti-phenolic glycolipid (anti-PGL-1) antibodies were analysed in household contacts (HHC) of patients with leprosy as an adjunct early leprosy diagnostic marker was conducted. The families of 83 patients underwent clinical examination and serum anti-PGL1 measurement using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of 320 HHC, 98 were contacts of lepromatous leprosy (LL), 80 were contacts of borderline lepromatous (BL), 28 were contacts of borderline (BB) leprosy, 54 were contacts of borderline tuberculoid (BT), 40 were contacts of tuberculoid (TT) and 20 were contacts of indeterminate (I) leprosy. Consanguinity with the patients was determined for 232 (72.5%) HHC. Of those 232 contacts, 183 had linear consanguinity. Forty-nine HHC had collateral consanguinity. Fifty-eight contacts (18.1%) tested positive for anti-PGL1 antibodies. The number of seropositive contacts based on the clinical forms of the index case was 17 (29.3%) for LL, 15 (25.9%) for BL, one (1.7%) for BB, 14 (24.1%) for BT, three (5.2%) for TT and eight (13.7%) for I. At the one year follow-up, two (3.4%) of these seropositive contacts had developed BT leprosy. The results of the present study indicate that the serum anti-PGL-1 IgM antibody may be useful for evaluating antigen exposure and as a tool for an early leprosy diagnosis in HHC.
authors: Divisão de Dermatologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
authors: Renata
authors: R
authors: Bazan-Furini
authors: Ana Carolina F
authors: AC
authors: Motta
authors: João Carlos L
authors: JC
authors: Simão
authors: Daniela Chaves
authors: DC
authors: Tarquínio
authors: Wilson
authors: W
authors: Marques
authors: Marcello Henrique N
authors: MH
authors: Barbosa
authors: Norma Tiraboschi
authors: NT
authors: Foss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003241:Consanguinity; D016358:Contact Tracing; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae