title: Asymptomatic Leprosy Infection among Blood Donors May Predict Disease Development and Suggests a Potential Mode of Transmission.
abstract: Blood donor samples (1,007) were assessed for anti-phenolic glycolipid 1 (PGL-1) IgM antibodies and Mycobacterium leprae DNA presence, which had 3.8% and 0.3% positivity, respectively. After a 5-year follow-up period, six individuals with positive markers developed leprosy, raising the hypothesis that asymptomatic infection among blood donors may be an undisclosed mode of leprosy transmission via transfusion.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabela Maria Bernardes
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Goulart
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil saraujo@lsu.edu.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.affiliation: Regional Blood Bank of Uberlandia, Hemominas Foundation, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adilson Botelho
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.affiliation: Regional Blood Bank of Uberlandia, Hemominas Foundation, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Henrique Ribeiro
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: de Paiva
authors.affiliation: National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Ricardo
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Goulart
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D001782:Blood Donors; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial