A component of Mycobacterium leprae as a serodiagnostic tool for leprosy
Ranade, A.; Mahadevan, P.R.
Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics 25(6): 554-559
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-1208 PMID: 3076580 Document Number: 326294
It has been observed that the delipidified component of the cell wall of Mycobacterium leprae (DCW), when used as an antigen, can distinguish and show different binding ability to sera of lepromatous leprosy patients and of healthy normals or tuberculoid leprosy individuals. This was demonstrated by the ELISA technique. Long-term treated (> 4 years) bacteriologically negative lepromatous individuals showed no antibody in the sera for DCW. The level of antibody to DCW declined in patients undergoing treatment and this appeared to happen rather rapidly. This could be indicative of the reduction in the quantum of viable M. leprae as was demonstrated with patients show were followed through several months of chemotherapy. The test appears to be specific. It is possible that whole DCW or some antigens associated with it could function as a specific serodiagnostic reagent for lepromatous leprosy.