Increased serum levels of interleukin-6 in erythema nodosum leprosum suggest its use as a biomarker.

Background: Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is a frequent complication of multibacillary leprosy that can result in significant morbidity, including peripheral nerve damage and physical disability. The identification of possible serum markers could be a valuable tool for the early detection of ENL.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate selected serum mediators involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses to identify possible immunomarkers for ENL.

Association of MICA and HLA-B alleles with leprosy in two endemic populations in Brazil.

Leprosy is a prevalent disease in Brazil, which ranks as the country with the second highest number of cases in the world. The disease manifests in a spectrum of forms, and genetic differences in the host can help to elucidate the immunopathogenesis. For a better understanding of MICA association with leprosy, we performed a case-control and a family-based study in two endemic populations in Brazil.

Early detection of M. leprae by qPCR in untreated patients and their contacts: results for nasal swab and palate mucosa scraping.

To verify if the hard palate mucosa can be a site of relevance in the early molecular detection of Mycobacterium leprae in leprosy cases and their household contacts and if there is a correlation of results in nasal swab with those of the scraping of the palate mucosa. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique was used. Sample included 78 patients with untreated leprosy (G1), their 54 household contacts (G2), and 80 healthy individuals for the negative control (G3).

Perceptions and experiences regarding the impact of race on the quality of healthcare in Southeast Brazil: a qualitative study.

To explore the impact of race on the quality of healthcare received by patients attending a primary care centre in Brazil. This was a qualitative study consisting of 19 semi-structured interviews conducted on patients from six racial groups (as defined in Brazil as white, yellow, brown, black and indigenous and one self-identified 'other' group). The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

The patient perspective of the diagnostic process for leprosy in Brazil. An exploratory study.

Objectives: To explore the patient experience of being diagnosed with leprosy and the support provided during this process in selected populations in Brazil. To understand the information needs of patients during diagnosis. To identify characteristics of patients with different diagnostic experiences.

NOD2 and CCDC122-LACC1 genes are associated with leprosy susceptibility in Brazilians.

Leprosy is a complex disease with phenotypes strongly influenced by genetic variation. A Chinese genome-wide association study (GWAS) depicted novel genes and pathways associated with leprosy susceptibility, only partially replicated by independent studies in different ethnicities. Here, we describe the results of a validation and replication study of the Chinese GWAS in Brazilians, using a stepwise strategy that involved two family-based and three independent case-control samples, resulting in 3,614 individuals enrolled.

Influence of KIR genes and their HLA ligands in the pathogenesis of leprosy in a hyperendemic population of Rondonópolis, Southern Brazil.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between KIR genes and the immunopathogenesis of leprosy.

Methods: The types of KIR and HLA genes were evaluated by PCR-SSOP-Luminex in 408 patients with leprosy and 413 healthy individuals. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test and stepwise multivariate analysis.

Primary neural leprosy: systematic review.

The authors proposed a systematic review on the current concepts of primary neural leprosy by consulting the following online databases: MEDLINE, Lilacs/SciELO, and Embase. Selected studies were classified based on the degree of recommendation and levels of scientific evidence according to the "Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine". The following aspects were reviewed: cutaneous clinical and laboratorial investigations, i.

Validation of the questionnaire on hand function assessment in leprosy.

Objective: To validate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire on hand function assessment in leprosy.

Methods: Study conducted with a convenience sample of 101 consecutive patients in Brasília (Central-Western Brazil), from June 2008 to July 2009. The individuals were adults affected by leprosy, with impairment of the ulnar, median and radial nerves.

[Creation of a data bank for sustainability of leprosy post elimination].

São José do Rio Preto reached the World Health Organization goal eliminating leprosy as a Public Health problem in the year 2006, with a prevalence of 0.79/10,000 inhabitants. In order to warrant reliable information to promote management measures that keep this status, the aim of this study was to create a leprosy data bank in the city with information from 1998 to 2006.

A randomized clinical trial of oral steroids for ulnar neuropathy in type 1 and type 2 leprosy reactions.

Background: Steroids regimens in leprosy neuropathies are still controversial in botth types of reactions.

Method: For this trial, 21 patients with ulnar neuropathy were selected from 163 leprosy patients, 12 with type 1 reaction (T1R) and nine with type 2 (T2R). One experimental group started with prednisone 2 mg/kg/day and the control group with 1 mg/kg/day.