Serological testing for Hansen's disease diagnosis: Clinical significance and performance of IgA, IgM, and IgG antibodies against Mce1A protein.

Hansen's disease (HD) is an infectious, treatable, and chronic disease. It is the main cause of infectious peripheral neuropathy. Due to the current limitations of laboratory tests for the diagnosis of HD, early identification of infected contacts is an important factor that would allow us to control the magnitude of this disease in terms of world public health.

Bacilloscopy and polymerase chain reaction of slit-skin smears and anti-phenolic glycolipid-I serology for Hansen's disease diagnosis.

The bacilloscopy of the slit-skin smear (SSS) is the exclusive laboratory test associated with dermato-neurological evaluation for Hansen's disease (HD) diagnosis; however, it is negative in the majority of PB or primary neural forms. Thus, a PCR technique involving different sequences and target genes has been performed with an aim to increase the sensitivity and specificity of identification, especially in patients with low bacillary loads. Additionally, serological assays based on antibody response reflect infection levels and indicate that this could be a simpler, less invasive technique for estimating exposure.

Serological Immunoassay for Hansen's Disease Diagnosis and Monitoring Treatment: Anti-Mce1A Antibody Response Among Hansen's Disease Patients and Their Household Contacts in Northeastern Brazil.

Hansen's disease (HD) is an ancient disease, but more than 200,000 new cases were reported worldwide in 2019. Currently, there are not many satisfactory immunoassay methods for its diagnosis. We evaluated antibodies against Mce1A as a promising new serological biomarker.