ArticleBMC infectious diseases2010
Multiplex PCR technique could be an alternative approach for early detection of leprosy among close contacts--a pilot study from India.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparative analysis of the leprosy detection rate regarding its clinical spectrum through PCR using theFrontiers in microbiology · 2024Pooled it
- Article
- Molecular Detection ofTropical medicine and infectious disease · 2025Review
- Diagnostic Utility of Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction in Patients of Clinically Suspected Pure Neuritic Leprosy by Identifying Mycobacterium leprae in Skin Biopsy Samples and Nasal Swabs.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024Article
- Highly sensitive and rapid determination of Mycobacterium leprae based on real-time multiple cross displacement amplification.BMC microbiology · 2023Article
- Development and validation of a multiplex real-time qPCR assay using GMP-grade reagents for leprosy diagnosis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Utility of Multi-target Nested PCR and ELISPOT Assays for the Detection of Paucibacillary Leprosy: A Possible Conclusion of Clinical Laboratory Misdiagnosis.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2022Article
- RLEP LAMP for the laboratory confirmation of leprosy: towards a point-of-care test.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Article
- Development of a Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique for specific and early detection of Mycobacterium leprae in clinical samples.Scientific reports · 2021Observational
- Prospects for new leprosy diagnostic tools, a narrative review considering ELISA and PCR assays.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2020Review
- Development of a combined RLEP/16S rRNA (RT) qPCR assay for the detection of viable M. leprae from nasal swab samples.BMC infectious diseases · 2019Article
- A novel integrated molecular and serological analysis method to predict new cases of leprosy amongst household contacts.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2019Article
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as a Potential Point of Care Laboratory Test for Leprosy Diagnosis-A Systematic Review.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2018Review
- High frequency of M. leprae DNA detection in asymptomatic household contacts.BMC infectious diseases · 2018Article
- Widespread nasal carriage of Mycobacterium lepraeamong a healthy population in a hyperendemic region of northeastern Brazil.Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz · 2015Article
- Vitamin D receptor expression levels determine the severity and complexity of disease progression among leprosy reaction patients.New microbes and new infections · 2015Article
- PCR-based techniques for leprosy diagnosis: from the laboratory to the clinic.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2014Review
- The challenge of producing skin test antigens with minimal resources suitable for human application against a neglected tropical disease; leprosy.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2014Article
- Whole-blood nested-PCR amplification of M. leprae-specific DNA for early diagnosis of leprosy.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2013Article
- Evaluation of qPCR-based assays for leprosy diagnosis directly in clinical specimens.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2011Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundImplementation of Multi drug Therapy (MDT) regimen has resulted in the decline of the total number of leprosy cases in the world. Though the prevalence rate has been declining, the incidence rate remains more or less constant and high in South East Asian countries particularly in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Srilanka. Leprosy, particularly that of multibacillary type spreads silently before it is clinically detected. An early detection and treatment would help to prevent transmission in the community. Multiplex PCR (M-PCR) technique appears to be promising towards early detection among contacts of leprosy cases.
methodsA total of 234 paucibacillary (PB) and 205 multibacillary (MB) leprosy cases were studied in a community of an endemic area of Bankura district of West Bengal (Eastern India). They were assessed by smear examination for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and M-PCR technique. These patients were treated with Multidrug Therapy (MDT) as prescribed by WHO following detection. A total of 110 MB and 72 PB contacts were studied by performing M-PCR in their nasal swab samples.
results83.4% of MB patients were observed to be positive by smear examination for AFB and 89.2% by M-PCR. While 22.2% of PB patients were found to be positive by smear examination for AFB, 80.3% of these patients were positive by M-PCR. Among leprosy contacts (using M-PCR), 10.9% were found to be positive among MB contacts and 1.3% among PB contacts. Interestingly, two contacts of M-PCR positive MB cases developed leprosy during the period of two years follow up.
conclusionThe M-PCR technique appears to be an efficient tool for early detection of leprosy cases in community based contact tracing amongst close associates of PB and MB cases. Early contact tracing using a molecular biology tool can be of great help in curbing the incidence of leprosy further.
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