title: Skin imprinting in silica plates: a potential diagnostic methodology for leprosy using high-resolution mass spectrometry.
abstract: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which primarily infects macrophages and Schwann cells, affecting skin and peripheral nerves. Clinically, the most common form of identification is through the observation of anesthetic lesions on skin; however, up to 30% of infected patients may not present this clinical manifestation. Currently, the gold standard diagnostic test for leprosy is based on skin lesion biopsy, which is invasive and presents low sensibility for suspect cases. Therefore, the development of a fast, sensible and noninvasive method that identifies infected patients would be helpful for assertive diagnosis. The aim of this work was to identify lipid markers in leprosy patients directly from skin imprints, using a mass spectrometric analytical strategy. For skin imprint samples, a 1 cm(2) silica plate was gently pressed against the skin of patients or healthy volunteers. Imprinted silica lipids were extracted and submitted to direct-infusion electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS). All samples were differentiated using a lipidomics-based data workup employing multivariate data analysis, which helped electing different lipid markers, for example, mycobacterial mycolic acids, inflammatory and apoptotic molecules were identified as leprosy patients' markers. Otherwise, phospholipids and gangliosides were pointed as healthy volunteers' skin lipid markers, according to normal skin composition. Results indicate that silica plate skin imprinting associated with ESI-HRMS is a promising fast and sensible leprosy diagnostic method. With a prompt leprosy diagnosis, an early and effective treatment could be feasible and thus the chain of leprosy transmission could be abbreviated.
authors.affiliation: †INNOVARE Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP Brazil, 13083-877.
authors.forename: Estela de Oliveira
authors.initials: Ede O
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: ‡Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-361.|§Cellular Microbiology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360.
authors.forename: Cristiana Santos
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: de Macedo
authors.affiliation: †INNOVARE Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP Brazil, 13083-877.
authors.forename: Cibele Zanardi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Esteves
authors.affiliation: †INNOVARE Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP Brazil, 13083-877.
authors.forename: Diogo Noin
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: §Cellular Microbiology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Vidal
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pessolani
authors.affiliation: ∇Souza Araújo Outpatient Clinic, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360.
authors.forename: José Augusto da Costa
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Nery
authors.affiliation: ∥Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360.
authors.forename: Euzenir Nunes
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Sarno
authors.affiliation: †INNOVARE Biomarkers Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP Brazil, 13083-877.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Ramos
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Catharino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008055:Lipids; D012822:Silicon Dioxide