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Diana D, Harish MC. qPCR detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA in urine samples of leprosy patients using the Rlep gene target. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1435679. [PMID: 39193223 PMCID: PMC11347395 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1435679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, continues to pose a public health challenge in many parts of the world. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and prevention of disabilities associated with the disease. Molecular techniques such as PCR have demonstrated great potential as a diagnostic tool for directly detecting M. leprae DNA in different clinical samples, providing better sensitivity and specificity than conventional diagnostic techniques. The objective of this study was to measure the amount of M. leprae DNA in leprosy patients' urine samples using the Rlep gene target through qPCR. Methods Different clinical samples such as smear, blood, and urine samples were collected from leprosy patients and healthy individuals. Leprosy patients were classified by the Ridley-Jopling classification. The Ziehl-Neelsen staining method was used for the slit skin smear (SSS) samples, and the bacteriological index (BI) was calculated for leprosy patients. DNA extraction and qPCR were performed for all three types of clinical samples using the Rlep gene target. Results The Mycobacterial leprae DNA was successfully detected and quantified in all clinical samples across all types of leprosy among all the study groups using the Rlep gene (129 bp) target. The Rlep gene target was able to detect the presence of M. leprae DNA in 100% of urine, 96.1% of blood, and 92.2% of SSS samples of leprosy patients. Urine samples showed significant differences (p < 0.001) between the control and the different clinical forms and between borderline tuberculoid (BT) and pure neuritic leprosy (PNL) cases. There are significant differences in cycle threshold (Ct) values between control cases and clinical categories (p < 0.001), as well as specific differences within clinical categories (p < 0.001), reflecting the variability in bacterial load and detection sensitivity across different sample types and clinical manifestations of leprosy. Conclusion Overall, this study's findings suggest that the qPCR technique can be used to detect M. leprae DNA in urine samples of leprosy patients using the Rlep gene target. It can also be used for diagnosing the disease and monitoring the effectiveness of anti-leprosy drugs, including multi-drug therapy (MDT), across various leprosy disease groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Diana
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Division, Schieffelin Institute of Health – Research and Leprosy Centre, Vellore, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, India
| | - M. C. Harish
- Department of Biotechnology, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, India
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de Souza FG, da Silva MB, de Araújo GS, Silva CS, Pinheiro AHG, Cáceres-Durán MÁ, Santana-da-Silva MN, Pinto P, Gobbo AR, da Costa PF, Salgado CG, Ribeiro-Dos-Santos Â, Cavalcante GC. Whole mitogenome sequencing uncovers a relation between mitochondrial heteroplasmy and leprosy severity. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:110. [PMID: 38062538 PMCID: PMC10704783 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00555-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, the mitochondria/immune system interaction has been proposed, so that variants of mitochondrial genome and levels of heteroplasmy might deregulate important metabolic processes in fighting infections, such as leprosy. METHODS We sequenced the whole mitochondrial genome to investigate variants and heteroplasmy levels, considering patients with different clinical forms of leprosy and household contacts. After sequencing, a specific pipeline was used for preparation and bioinformatics analysis to select heteroplasmic variants. RESULTS We found 116 variants in at least two of the subtypes of the case group (Borderline Tuberculoid, Borderline Lepromatous, Lepromatous), suggesting a possible clinical significance to these variants. Notably, 15 variants were exclusively found in these three clinical forms, of which five variants stand out for being missense (m.3791T > C in MT-ND1, m.5317C > A in MT-ND2, m.8545G > A in MT-ATP8, m.9044T > C in MT-ATP6 and m.15837T > C in MT-CYB). In addition, we found 26 variants shared only by leprosy poles, of which two are characterized as missense (m.4248T > C in MT-ND1 and m.8027G > A in MT-CO2). CONCLUSION We found a significant number of variants and heteroplasmy levels in the leprosy patients from our cohort, as well as six genes that may influence leprosy susceptibility, suggesting for the first time that the mitogenome might be involved with the leprosy process, distinction of clinical forms and severity. Thus, future studies are needed to help understand the genetic consequences of these variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Gouvea de Souza
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Moisés Batista da Silva
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Gilderlanio S de Araújo
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Caio S Silva
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Andrey Henrique Gama Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Miguel Ángel Cáceres-Durán
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Mayara Natália Santana-da-Silva
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Pablo Pinto
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Angélica Rita Gobbo
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Fagundes da Costa
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Claudio Guedes Salgado
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, PA, 67105-290, Brazil
| | - Ândrea Ribeiro-Dos-Santos
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil.
| | - Giovanna C Cavalcante
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, 66075-110, Brazil.
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Silva CAM, Graham BG, Webb K, Islam MN, Harton M, de Mello Marques MA, de Carvalho FM, Pinheiro RO, Spencer J, Sarno EN, Pereira GM, Pessolani MCV, de Macedo CS, Belisle JT. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Derived Lipid Mediators as Potential Biomarkers for Leprosy Among Individuals with Asymptomatic Mycobacterium leprae Infection. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1458-1469. [PMID: 37428112 PMCID: PMC10700021 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Intra-household contacts (HCs) of leprosy patients are at increased risk of infection by Mycobacterium leprae and about ∼5-10% will develop active disease. A prognostic tool to identify HCs with the greatest risk of progressing to active disease would enhance early leprosy diagnosis and optimize prophylactic intervention. Previous metabolomics studies suggest that host lipid mediators derived from ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are potential biomarkers for leprosy. In this study, we investigated retrospective sera of leprosy HCs by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and enzyme-linked immunoassay to determine whether circulating levels of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA metabolites were altered in HCs that developed leprosy (HCDL) in comparison to those that did not (HCNDL). Sera were collected from HCs at the time of index case diagnosis and before clinical signs/symptoms of leprosy. Our findings showed that HCDL sera exhibited a distinct metabolic profile in comparison to HCDNL. Specifically, arachidonic acid, leukotriene B4, 11-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, prostaglandin D2, and lipoxin A4 were elevated in HCDL. In contrast, prostaglandin E2 levels were reduced in HCDL. The ω-3 PUFAs, docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and the docosahexaenoic acid-derived resolvin D1 and maresin-1 were also elevated in HCDL individuals compared to HCNDL. Principal component analyses provided further evidence that lipid mediators could serve as an early biomarker for progression to active leprosy. A logistic model identified resolvin D1 and D2, and prostaglandin D2 as having the greatest potential for early detection of HCs that will manifest leprosy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A. M. Silva
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - Barbara G. Graham
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - Kristofor Webb
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - M. Nurul Islam
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - Marisa Harton
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - Maria Angela de Mello Marques
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
- Cellular Microbiology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360
| | - Fernanda Marques de Carvalho
- Cellular Microbiology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360
| | - Roberta Olmo Pinheiro
- Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360
| | - John Spencer
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
| | - Euzenir Nunes Sarno
- Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360
| | - Geraldo M.B. Pereira
- Cellular Microbiology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360
| | - Maria Cristina Vidal Pessolani
- Cellular Microbiology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360
| | - Cristiana Santos de Macedo
- Cellular Microbiology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-360
- Center for Technological Development in Health (CDTS), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil, 21040-361
| | - John T. Belisle
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523
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Costa ILV, da Costa PF, da Silva SM, Gobbo AR, Pinto PDDC, Spencer JS, da Silva MB, Salgado CG. Leprosy among children in an area without primary health care coverage in Caratateua Island, Brazilian Amazon. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1218388. [PMID: 37425318 PMCID: PMC10323681 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1218388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The detection of leprosy in children is an important epidemiological marker of the disease, indicating the community's early exposure to Mycobacterium leprae and active transmission of the infection. Methods In order to detect new cases among children by combining clinical evaluation and laboratory tests, we conducted an active case finding among individuals under 15 years old on Caratateua Island, located in the city of Belém, in the Pará state, an endemic region in the Amazon. Dermato-neurological examination, collection of 5 mL of peripheral blood for IgM anti-PGL-I antibody titration, and intradermal scraping for bacilloscopy and amplification of the specific RLEP region by qPCR were performed. Results Out of the 56 examined children, 28/56 (50%) new cases were identified. At the time of evaluation, 38/56 (67.8%) children presented one or more clinical alterations. Seropositivity was detected in 7/27 (25.9%) new cases and 5/24 (20.8%) undiagnosed children. DNA amplification of Mycobacterium leprae was observed in 23/28 (82.1%) of new cases and in 5/26 (19.2%) of non-cases. Out of the total cases, 11/28 (39.2%) were exclusively diagnosed by clinical evaluation performed during the active case finding. Seventeen new cases (60.8%) were detected considering the clinical alterations found in addition to positive results for qPCR. In this group, 3/17 (17.6%) qPCR-positive children presented significant clinical changes 5.5 months after the first evaluation. Discussion Our research detected a number of cases 5.6 times higher compared to the total number of pediatric cases recorded throughout the year 2021 in the municipality of Belém, which shows a critical scenario of underdiagnosing of leprosy among children under 15 years old in the region. We propose the use of qPCR technique to identify new cases among children with oligosymptomatic or early disease in endemic areas, in addition to the training of Primary Health Care professionals and the implementation of the Family Health Strategy coverage in the visited area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Angélica Rita Gobbo
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, Pará, Brazil
| | - Pablo Diego do Carmo Pinto
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Instituto de Ciência Biológicas, UFPA, Belém, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Ciências Médicas, UFPA, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - John Stewart Spencer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | | | - Claudio Guedes Salgado
- Laboratório de Dermato-Imunologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Marituba, Pará, Brazil
- Coordenação de Atenção às Doenças Transmissíveis na Atenção Primária à Saúde, Departamento de Gestão do Cuidado Integral, Secretaria de Atenção Primária à Saúde, Ministério da Saúde, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
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Lima FR, Simões MMR, da Costa Manso GM, Toro DM, Antunes VMG, Felisbino GC, Dias GF, Riley LW, Arruda S, de Paula NA, Lugão HB, Perecin FAMC, Foss NT, Frade MAC. Serological testing for Hansen’s disease diagnosis: Clinical significance and performance of IgA, IgM, and IgG antibodies against Mce1A protein. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1048759. [PMID: 37007773 PMCID: PMC10062478 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1048759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
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. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Brazilian southeast with the objective of evaluating humoral immunity and describing the accuracy of the immunoassay based on IgA, IgM, and IgG antibodies against surface protein Mce1A of Mycobacterium, the predictive potential of these molecules, the clinical significance of positivity, and the ability to segregate new HD cases (NC; n = 200), contacts (HHC; n = 105), and healthy endemic controls (HEC; n = 100) as compared to α-PGL-I serology. α-Mce1A levels for all tested antibodies were significantly higher in NC and HHC than in HEC (p < 0.0001). The performance of the assay using IgA and IgM antibodies was rated as highly accurate (AUC > 0.85) for screening HD patients. Among HD patients (NC), positivity was 77.5% for IgA α-Mce1A ELISA, 76.5% for IgM, and 61.5% for IgG, while α-PGL-I serology showed only 28.0% positivity. Multivariate PLS-DA showed two defined clusters for the HEC and NC groups [accuracy = 0.95 (SD = 0.008)] and the HEC and HHC groups [accuracy = 0.93 (SD = 0.011)]. IgA was the antibody most responsible for clustering HHC as compared to NC and HEC, evidencing its usefulness for host mucosal immunity and as an immunological marker in laboratory tests. IgM is the key antibody for the clustering of NC patients. Positive results with high antibody levels indicate priority for screening, new clinical and laboratory evaluations, and monitoring of contacts, mainly with antibody indexes ≥2.0. In light of recent developments, the incorporation of new diagnostic technologies permits to eliminate the main gaps in the laboratory diagnosis of HD, with the implementation of tools of greater sensitivity and accuracy while maintaining satisfactory specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Rocha Lima
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mateus Mendonça Ramos Simões
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Martins da Costa Manso
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diana Mota Toro
- Department of Clinical, Toxicological and, Bromatological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanderson Mayron Granemann Antunes
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovani Cesar Felisbino
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Ferreira Dias
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lee W. Riley
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Sérgio Arruda
- Advanced Public Health Laboratory, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Natália Aparecida de Paula
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helena Barbosa Lugão
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda André Martins Cruz Perecin
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Norma Tiraboschi Foss
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Andrey Cipriani Frade
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Marco Andrey Cipriani Frade,
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Lima FR, de Paula NA, Simões MMR, Manso GMDC, Albertino GS, Felisbino GC, Antunes VMG, Perecin FAMC, Westin AT, Lugão HB, Frade MAC. Bacilloscopy and polymerase chain reaction of slit-skin smears and anti-phenolic glycolipid-I serology for Hansen's disease diagnosis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:972244. [PMID: 36035405 PMCID: PMC9399463 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.972244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
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 M. leprae 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 M. leprae exposure. Serological tests and PCR have been shown to be more sensitive and accurate than the SSS. Our study aimed to measure accuracy and performance among the SSS and PCR of dermal scrapings stored on filter paper and APGL-I serology for diagnosis in HD. A cross-sectional study analyzing the medical records (n = 345) of an HD outpatient-dermatology clinic from 2014 to 2021 was conducted. Accuracy performance parameters, correlation, and concordance were used to assess the value among the SSS, PCR, and APGL-I exams in HD. The SSS presented 24.5% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 37.4% accuracy, and the lowest negative predictive value (21.5%). The PCR assay had 41, 100, and 51% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, respectively. PCR and APGL-I serology increased the detection of HD cases by 16 and 20.6%, respectively. PCR was positive in 51.3% of patients when the SSS was negative. The SSS obtained moderate concordance with PCR [k-value: 0.43 (CI: 0.33-0.55)] and APGL-I [k-value: 0.41 (CI: 0.31-0.53)]. A moderate positive correlation was found between the APGL-I index and the bacillary index (r = 0.53; P < 0.0001). Thus, the use of the SSS is a low sensitivity and accuracy method due to its low performance in HD detection. The use of PCR and serological tests allows for a more sensitive and accurate diagnosis of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Rocha Lima
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natália Aparecida de Paula
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mateus Mendonça Ramos Simões
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Martins da Costa Manso
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Sartori Albertino
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovani Cesar Felisbino
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vanderson Mayron Granemann Antunes
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda André Martins Cruz Perecin
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andrezza Telles Westin
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helena Barbosa Lugão
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Andrey Cipriani Frade
- Healing and Hansen’s Disease Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Referral Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Hansen’s Disease, Clinical Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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