%A Desforges S
%A Bobin P
%A Brethes B
%A Huerre M
%A Moreau J
%A Bach M


%T Specific anti-<i>M. leprae </i>PGL-I antibodies and mitsuda reactions in the management of household contacts in New Caledonia

%0 Journal Article

%D 1989

%J International Journal of Leprosy and other Mycobacterial Diseases

%P 0148-916X

%V 57

%N 4

%X Household contacts of leprosy patients have been tested for anti-phenolic glyco-lipid-I IgM antibodies (anti-PGL-I IgM) by an ELISA using the natural disaccharide (NDO) and natural trisaccharide (NTO) synthetic antigens. A group of healthy subjects without known exposure to <i>Mycobacterium leprae </i>served as controls. The percentages of positivity observed in multibacillary patients, paucibacillary patients, and household contacts were significantly higher than those of the negative controls. The absorbancc values using NDO and NTO correlated well (range 0.59-0.91) when analysis of each subject group was performed. As reported here, NDO and NTO antigens seem to be equal in detecting leprosy cases; 100% of multibacillary and 21.43% of paucibacillary cases were detected as seropositive. For the screening of household contacts, NDO appears to be more sensitive and NTO more specific . There were more seropositive cases in the young age groups of household contacts, suggesting a higher rate of transmission of <i>M. leprae </i>infection in those age groups. Lepromin and anti-PGL-I IgG tests were also performed in contacts who were followed. The 2 paucibacillary subjects (1 borderline tuberculoid, 1 indeterminate) were Mitsuda negative. At diagnosis, their anti-PGL-I IgM levels were much higher than those of previous results; their anti-PGL-I IgG levels showed an increase in one and a decrease in the other. However, for lhe entire group anti-PGL-I IgM and anti-PGL-I IgG leveis were posi-tively correlated. The data reported here suggest that an increase in specific  anti-<i>M. leprae </i>IgM leveis in Mitsuda-negative household contaets could revcal the devel-opment of overt disease.