ABSTRACT
870 household contacts of leprosy patients were examined for sub-clinical infection with M. leprae by smear (skin and nasal), lepromin and FLA-ABS tests. 0.6%, 3.3%, 71.5% and 14.4% of the contacts were found to be positive for skin smear, nasal smear, lepromin and FLA-ABS tests respectively. An analysis of the results revealed that 4% of the lepromin positive contacts and 3.6% of the lepromin negative contacts were positive to both FLA-ABS and skin or nasal smear.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Housing , Humans , Infant , Lepromin/diagnosis , Leprosy/microbiology , Male , Middle Aged , Mycobacterium leprae/isolation & purification , Skin/microbiologyABSTRACT
76 Lepromatous, 50 non-lepromatous cases of leprosy and 20 apparently healthy individuals were tested for Dinitrochlorobenzene contact sensitization. Only one lepromatous case and one apparently healthy individual showed negative result. E-rosette counts and leucocyte migration inhibition test were performed in 22 lepromatous, 10 non-lepromatous cases and 10 apparently healthy individuals who were all DNCB positive. Of these 2 lepromatous, 8 non-lepromatous cases and all the 10 apparently healthy individuals showed lepromin positivity. Average E-rosette counts (percentage) and mean leucocyte migratory index were significantly lower in lepromatous as compared to non-lepromatous cases.