title: Detection of Mycobacterium leprae in saliva and the evaluation of oral sensitivity in patients with leprosy.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate sensitivity disorders in the oral cavity related to the presence of Mycobacterium leprae in the saliva of treatment-naïve patients with leprosy in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 45 subjects with leprosy. The subjects were interviewed to evaluate the sensitivity of the oral cavity. For the detection of M. leprae, saliva and slit-skin smear samples were collected. The samples were analysed using a bacteriological index (BI) protocol and the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results indicated that 15 of the 45 (33.3%) subjects with leprosy showed decreased oral sensitivity, which confirmed the importance of the oral cavity sensitivity evaluation. There was not a direct relationship between the presence of M. leprae in saliva and changes in oral sensitivity. Positive saliva qPCR results from six (31.6%) of 19 paucibacillary (PB) patients suggested the possibility of a new site for sample collection. Positive results using these diagnostic techniques (BI, slit-skin smear and saliva qPCR) increased to 55.5%, thus opening the possibility of combining these different techniques to increase the rate of positive diagnoses, especially in PB patients.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil. feborowsky@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Fernanda Borowsky da
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Victor Costa de
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Tatiana Amaral Pires de
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Valdinete Alves do
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Felicien Gonçalves
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Vásquez
authors.forename: Maria da Graça Souza
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Felipe Gomes
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Naveca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
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