Serum IgA Antibodies Specific to Antigens as Biomarkers for Leprosy Detection and Household Contact Tracking.

Leprosy remains endemic in several developing countries, such as India and Brazil, in part due to delayed diagnosis that facilitates ongoing transmission. Although immunoglobulins against several antigens have been indicated for the early diagnosis, and IgA participates in the early stages of leprosy and in subclinical infection, relatively little research has examined anti-M. leprae IgA responses.