ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the association of demographics, leprosy and ocular characteristics with altered levels of lactoferrin in the tears of normal subjects and leprosy patients, and to detect the presence of antibodies to lactoferrin in these tear samples. METHOD: We collected light-stimulated tears from 298 leprosy patients and an equal number of normal subjects using the glass capillary method. Free lactoferrin levels were estimated using ELISA and the presence of antibodies to lactoferrin was detected using the immuno-blotting method. Significant associations were looked for between tear lactoferrin levels and demographic characteristics, leprosy characteristics such as type of disease, duration of disease, reactions, deformity and bacterial load, and ocular complications, using chi-square and regression analysis. RESULTS: Tear lactoferrin levels with a mean (SD) of 2.55 (2.83)mg/ml in the control group were significantly different (P<0.000) from leprosy patients with a smean (SD) of 5.66 (7.21)mg/ml. Age showed an inverse correlation with tear lactoferrin levels in controls. Increased bacterial load, grade 2 leg deformity and Type 2 reactions were significantly associated (P<0.05) with increased tear lactoferrin levels. Type 2 reactions remained significantly associated (P=0.01) on multiple regression analysis. Tear lactoferrin levels were not associated with gender, serum lactoferrin levels, Type 1 reactions, face patches, treatment status, orbicularis oculi weakness, lagophthalmos, ectropion, entropion, corneal opacity, cataract and iridocyclitis. CONCLUSION: Age is inversely related to tear lactoferrin levels in normal subjects. Free lactoferrin levels in tears are significantly higher in leprosy patients compared with normal controls. Type 2 reactions in leprosy are significantly associated with elevated tear lactoferrin levels.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Lactoferrin/analysis , Leprosy, Lepromatous/metabolism , Linear Models , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Distribution , Tears/metabolismABSTRACT
Studies have been made on the semen of three categories (borderline, borderline tuberculoid and lepromatous) of leprosy patients to evaluate the seminal biochemical constituents viz. fructose, glycerylphosphorylcholine and acid phosphatase besides the physical properties viz. volume, pH, liquefaction time, sperm density and sperm motility. In all categories of leprosy patients, seminal pH, liquefaction time and sperm density underwent significant decline. The decline in the seminal volume and sperm motility was significant only in borderline leprosy. It was observed that seminal glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC) concentration and acid phosphatase activity declined in all categories of leprosy patients but GPC showed a significant decline only in borderline tuberculoid and acid phosphatase declined significantly only in borderline and lepromatous leprosy.
Subject(s)
Acid Phosphatase/metabolism , Adult , Cell Count , Fructose/metabolism , Glycerylphosphorylcholine/metabolism , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Leprosy, Borderline/metabolism , Leprosy, Lepromatous/metabolism , Leprosy, Tuberculoid/metabolism , Male , Middle Aged , Semen/metabolism , Sperm Motility , Spermatozoa/physiology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The distribution of phenotypes of group specific component (Gc) was examined in 71 lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients without any history of ENL reaction and 65 LL patients with history of frequent episodes of ENL reaction. The distribution of none of the phenotypes of Gc (Gc 1-1, Gc 2-1, Gc 2-2) was statistically significant among these groups.