High-Resolution Sonography as an Additional Diagnostic and Prognostic Tool to Monitor Disease Activity in Leprosy: A Two-Year Prospective Study.

Purpose: Early diagnosis and treatment of leprosy and leprosy reactions are essential to prevent stigmatizing deformities and disability. Although the incidence of leprosy has decreased enormously, grade 2 disability due to nerve injury has remained the same. New tools are needed to better diagnose and monitor leprosy reactions and associated neuritis and this study assessed whether high-resolution sonography (HRUS) can be used as such a tool.

Cytokine and protein markers of leprosy reactions in skin and nerves: baseline results for the North Indian INFIR cohort.

Background: Previous studies investigating the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of leprosy have either been on only small numbers of patients or have not combined clinical and histological data. The INFIR Cohort study is a prospective study of 303 new multibacillary leprosy patients to identify risk factors for reaction and nerve damage. This study characterised the cellular infiltrate in skin and nerve biopsies using light microscopic and immunohistochemical techniques to identify any association of cytokine markers, nerve and cell markers with leprosy reactions.

Increased CXC ligand 10 levels and gene expression in type 1 leprosy reactions.

Type 1 reaction (T1R) is a systemic inflammatory syndrome causing substantial morbidity in leprosy. T1R results from spontaneously enhanced cellular immunity in borderline types of leprosy, but there are no established laboratory markers for the reaction. Preliminary studies have identified elevated circulating CXC ligand 10 (CXCL10) during T1R.

Analysis of antibody and cytokine markers for leprosy nerve damage and reactions in the INFIR cohort in India.

Background: The ILEP Nerve Function Impairment in Reaction (INFIR) is a cohort study designed to identify predictors of reactions and nerve function impairment (NFI) in leprosy.

Aim Of The Study: Antibodies to mycobacteria, nerve components and serum cytokine were measured as potential markers for their possible association with reactions and NFI.

Patients And Methods: 303 newly diagnosed leprosy patients from two centres in North India were enrolled.