ArticleBMC infectious diseases2018
High frequency of M. leprae DNA detection in asymptomatic household contacts.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Predictive Role of Biomarkers for Leprosy Prophylaxis in Contacts of Patients Who Are Indices of the Disease: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Mediators of inflammation · 2026Pooled it
- Reservoirs and transmission routes of leprosy; A systematic review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2020Pooled it
- A Multiepitope Protein Based on Selected Synthetic Peptides Enables Effective Serological Screening of Exposure toACS omega · 2026Article
- Exploration of tongue dorsum sampling to support clinical diagnosis of leprosy patients in the Comoros: A cross-sectional study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- Molecular Detection ofTropical medicine and infectious disease · 2025Review
- Immune mediators as plasma biomarkers for identifying household contacts and classifying clinical forms and leprosy reactions.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Article
- Leprosy.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2024Review
- MicroRNA biomarkers in leprosy: insights from the Northern Brazilian Amazon population and their implications in disease immune-physiopathology.Frontiers in genetics · 2024Article
- The landscape of chemokine and cytokine is associated with the distinct clinical status of leprosy patients and their respective household contacts.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- qPCR detection ofFrontiers in molecular biosciences · 2024Article
- Molecular epidemiological characteristics ofFrontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Interplay among differential exposure toFrontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- High-resolution ultrasonography for early diagnosis of neural impairment in seropositive leprosy household contacts.PloS one · 2023Article
- Specialized active leprosy search strategies in an endemic area of the Brazilian Amazon identifies a hypermutatedFrontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- Algorithm Design for a Cytokine Release Assay of Antigen-Specific In Vitro Stimuli of Circulating Leukocytes to Classify Leprosy Patients and Household Contacts.Open forum infectious diseases · 2022Article
- Development and validation of a multiplex real-time qPCR assay using GMP-grade reagents for leprosy diagnosis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Silent peripheral neuropathy determined by high-resolution ultrasound among contacts of patients with Hansen's disease.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Leprosy: A Review of Epidemiology, Clinical Diagnosis, and Management.Journal of tropical medicine · 2022Review
- Blood RNA signature RISK4LEP predicts leprosy years before clinical onset.EBioMedicine · 2021Article
- Functional biomarker signatures of circulating T-cells and its association with distinct clinical status of leprosy patients and their respective household contacts.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCharacterization of the Mycobacterium leprae genome has made possible the development of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) systems that can amplify different genomic regions. Increased reliability and technical efficiency of quantitative PCR (qPCR) makes it a promising tool for early diagnosis of leprosy. Index cases that are multibacillary spread the bacillus silently, even before they are clinically diagnosed. Early detection and treatment could prevent transmission in endemic areas.
methodsIn this study, the qPCR technique is used to detect DNA of M. leprae in samples of slit skin smears (SSS) of the ear lobe and blood of leprosy patients and their asymptomatic household contacts residing in Governador Valadares, MG, Brazil, a hyperendemic area for leprosy. A total of 164 subjects participated in the study: 43 index cases, 113 household contacts, and, as negative controls, 8 individuals who reported no contact with patients nor history of leprosy in the family. The qPCR was performed to amplify 16S rRNA fragments and was specifically designed for M. leprae.
resultsOf asymptomatic household contacts, 23.89% showed bacillary DNA by qPCR in samples of SSS and blood. Also, 48.84% of patients diagnosed with leprosy were positive for qPCR while the bacillary load was positive in only 30.23% of patients. It is important to note that most patients were already receiving treatment when the collection of biological material for qPCR was performed. The level of bacillary DNA from household contacts was similar to the DNA levels detected in the group of paucibacillary patients.
conclusionConsidering that household contacts comprise a recognizable group of individuals with a high risk of disease, as they live in close proximity to a source of infection, qPCR can be used to estimate the risk of progress towards leprosy among household contacts and as a routine screening method for a chemoprophylactic protocol.
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