ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2018
Molecular, immunological and neurophysiological evaluations for early diagnosis of neural impairment in seropositive leprosy household contacts.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 33 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
- Factors associated with the development of leprosy in Brazilian contacts: a systematic review.Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo · 2022Pooled it
- Leprosy neuropathy and demyelinating impairment: How should we interpret this neurophysiological pattern?PloS one · 2026Observational
- A Multicenter evaluation of leprosy rapid test Fast ML Flow Hanseníase in Brazil.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2025Article
- Median nerve impairment in leprosy: how does it differ from the classic carpal tunnel syndrome?Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria · 2024Article
- Article
- Neural leprosy investigation using electroneuromyography and the ML Flow rapid test: a case report.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2024Article
- Description of electroneuromiographic and laboratorial findings in leprosy neuropathy, according to its clinical forms: the confirmation of a spectral disease.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- Early diagnosis of neural impairment in seropositive leprosy household contacts: The experience of a reference center in Brazil.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
- High-resolution ultrasonography for early diagnosis of neural impairment in seropositive leprosy household contacts.PloS one · 2023Article
- Clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory prognostic factors in patients with leprosy reactions: A 10-year retrospective cohort study.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Silent peripheral neuropathy determined by high-resolution ultrasound among contacts of patients with Hansen's disease.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Blood RNA signature RISK4LEP predicts leprosy years before clinical onset.EBioMedicine · 2021Article
- Leprosy surveillance study in a highly endemic Brazilian area using leprosy specific serologic tests and IFNγ whole blood assay.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2020Article
- Genomic Characterization ofFrontiers in microbiology · 2020Article
- Epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory aspects of leprosy neural relapses.Neurology. Clinical practice · 2019Article
- Quantitative PCR for leprosy diagnosis and monitoring in household contacts: A follow-up study, 2011-2018.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Evaluation of the cutaneous sensation of the face in patients with different clinical forms of leprosy.PloS one · 2019Observational
- Laboratory and functional tests in leprosy diagnosis: a practical guide for clinical decision-making.Anais brasileiros de dermatologiaReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHousehold contacts constitute the highest risk group for leprosy development, and despite significant progress in the disease control, early diagnosis remains the primary goals for leprosy management programs.
methodsWe have recruited 175 seropositive and 35 seronegative household contacts from 2014 to 2016, who were subjected to an extensive protocol that included clinical, molecular (peripheral blood qPCR, slit-skin smear qPCR, skin biopsy qPCR) and electroneuromyographic evaluations. RESULTS/PRINCIPAL
findingsThe positivity of peripheral blood qPCR of seropositive contacts was 40.6% (71/175) whereas only 8.6% (3/35) were qPCR positive in seronegative contacts (p = 0.0003). For the slit-skin smear, only 4% (7/175) of seropositive contacts presented positive bacilloscopy, whereas the qPCR detected 47.4% (83/175) positivity in this group compared with only 17.1% (6/35) in seronegative contacts (p = 0.0009). In the ENMG evaluation of contacts, 31.4% (55/175) of seropositives presented some neural impairment, and 13.3% (4/35) in seronegatives (p = 0.0163). The presence of neural thickening conferred a 2.94-fold higher chance of ENMG abnormality (p = 0.0031). Seropositive contacts presented a 4.04-fold higher chance of neural impairment (p = 0.0206). The peripheral blood qPCR positivity presented odds 2.08-fold higher towards neural impairment (OR, 2.08; p = 0.028). Contrarily, the presence of at least one BCG vaccine scar demonstrated 2.44-fold greater protection against neural impairment (OR = 0.41; p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: ELISA anti-PGL-I is the most important test in determining the increased chance of neural impairment in asymptomatic leprosy household contacts. The combination of the two assays (ELISA anti-PGL-I and peripheral blood qPCR) and the presence of BCG scar may identify individuals with higher chances of developing leprosy neuropathy, corroborating with the early diagnosis and treatment.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.