alpha1-acid glycoprotein as a putative biomarker for monitoring the development of the type II reactional stage of leprosy.

Leprosy, a spectral disease manifested on the basis of host immune responses, is complicated by its reactional stages, namely type I reversal reaction (RR) and type II erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). These reactional stages are characterized by uncontrolled and aberrant immune responses. Biomarkers for reactional stages would aid in early diagnosis, efficient treatment, prevention of neurological complications and prediction of predisposition to reactional stages.

Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of Mycobacterium leprae DNA and mRNA in human biopsy material from leprosy and reactional cases.

Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, is uncultivable in defined media. Development of new diagnostic tools which do not depend on growth of bacteria is needed for the early detection of M. leprae and for monitoring the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Functional characterization of a small heat shock protein from Mycobacterium leprae.

Background: Small heat shock proteins are ubiquitous family of stress proteins, having a role in virulence and survival of the pathogen. M. leprae, the causative agent of leprosy is an uncultivable organism in defined media, hence the biology and function of proteins were examined by cloning M.

Serum proteome of leprosy patients undergoing erythema nodosum leprosum reaction: regulation of expression of the isoforms of haptoglobin.

Validated proteome profile allows better understanding of disease progression, subtype classification, susceptibility patterns, and disease prognosis. Leprosy is a spectral disease, with clinically, histologically, immunologically, and bacteriologically distinguishable subtypes. In addition, a significant fraction of patients undergo immune mediated reactions even after multidrug therapy (MDT).

Immunological profiles of leprosy patients and healthy family contacts toward M. leprae antigens.

In this study, we measured simultaneously the in vitro and in vivo T lymphocyte reactivities and the antibody responses of leprosy patients and healthy family contacts (HFC) toward Mycobacterium leprae antigens. The in vitro lymphoproliferative response of the HFC to leprosin A was comparable to that of tuberculoid leprosy patients. However, their skin-test reactivity to Dharmendra lepromin was considerably higher compared to the in vitro response to leprosin A.