Leprosy-specific humoral reactants were demonstrated by light scatter. Of 132 lepromatous leprosy sera, 70% gave more extensive reactions than 99% of 100 normal sera.

Five of 10 paucibacillary leprosy patients were Quantiferon Gold (Q-G) positive with negative chest X-rays. Forty multibacillary leprosy patients were negative. Reports have shown 100% cross-reactivity of ESAT6 and CFP10 between Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Q-G test cannot detect latent tuberculosis in patients with leprosy.

A 43-year-old woman of Mayan origin from Quintana Roo, Mexico, was diagnosed with diffuse lepromatous leprosy. The etiologic bacillus was determined to be Mycobacterium lepromatosis instead of Mycobacterium leprae. This case likely represents the first report of this leprosy form and its agent in the southeastern tip of Mexico.

Till 2010, several countries have declared less than one leprosy patient among population of 10,000 and themselves feeling as eliminated from leprosy cases. However, new leprosy cases are still appearing from all these countries. In this situation one has to be confident to diagnose leprosy. This review paper highlighted already explored antigens for diagnosis purposes and finally suggested bet...

Of 25 dapsone derivatives and analogs screened for activity against Mycobacterium leprae in the mouse footpad system, only 7 were active. All seven were metabolized to or contaminated with dapsone.

Introduction : why study structure? Information about the structure of M. leprae may be obtained by microscopy (especially electron miscroscopy) and other physical techniques . There is active development of such techniques , but at present the information they can give about structures as complex as a bac­ terium is l imited . To obtain a detailed knowledge of the molecular composition and con...

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) was isolated from Mycobacterium leprae recovered from infected tissue of the Nine-banded Armadillo, and nucleotide sequences near the 3' end of the 16S species were determined by primer extension in the presence of dideoxynucleotides. Previously published data for bacterial 16S rRNAs show a pattern of conserved and non-conserved sequences that fit a common secondary structu...

This paper describes a microculture rapid assay using radiolabeling and mouse macrophages to determine the viability and the drug susceptibility or resistance of Mycobacterium leprae. Comparison of M. leprae resident macrophage cultures maintained in 96-well flat-bottomed plates showed results for viability and susceptibility or resistance to dapsone that were similar to results for concurrent ...

Leprosy is a fascinating disease. It prcsents several unsolved problems and therefore offers a great challenge to the medical scientist. Dr. Binford. Thank you very much, Dr. Job, for this brief but compact story of the pathology of leprosy. We havc to apologizc for giving you such a large assignment for 20 minutes, but you accomplished it well and I am sure that those of the audience who have ...