ArticleIndian dermatology online journal2026
Rapid Identification of Drug-Resistant Strains of Mycobacterium leprae through qPCR High-Resolution Melt Analysis (HRMA): A High-Throughput and Effective Screening Method.
Article in Indian dermatology online journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRapid detection of drug-resistant Mycobacterium leprae is essential for effective treatment. Real-time polymerase chain reaction high-resolution melt (qPCR-HRM) analysis is a promising tool for this purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of qPCR-HRM for detecting drug-resistant strains of M. leprae in India. PATIENTS AND
methodsSkin biopsies or slit-skin scrapings from 48 leprosy patients; relapse ( n = 10), defaulters ( n = 2), reactional ( n = 17), and new cases ( n = 19), were analyzed. Drug resistance testing was conducted using qPCR-HRM and PCR followed by Sanger sequencing, following WHO guidelines.
resultsDrug resistance was detected in 9/48 (rifampicin), 11/48 (dapsone), and 5/48 (ofloxacin) by both methods. Dual resistance was seen in three patients: two with rifampicin and dapsone resistance, and one with rifampicin and ofloxacin resistance. Among new cases, mutations were detected in 10.5% (rifampicin) and 21.1% (dapsone); among reactional cases, in 23.5% (rifampicin), 11.8% (dapsone), 11.8% (ofloxacin), and 5.9% (rifampicin and ofloxacin); and among relapse cases, in 30% (rifampicin and ofloxacin), 50% (dapsone), and 20% (rifampicin and dapsone). No resistance was observed in defaulters. Sequencing confirmed mutation sites, and qPCR-HRM results were consistent with sequencing data. LIMITATIONS: A limitation of the study is possible misclassification of samples that amplify beyond a threshold cycle (CT) of 30, which requires confirmation by PCR followed by DNA sequencing. Further, the inability of qPCR-HRM to determine exact mutation positions requires PCR/sequencing confirmation and a small sample size, which may limit generalizability.
conclusionqPCR-HRM is a reliable, rapid, and effective method for detecting drug resistance in leprosy. It provides results comparable to PCR and sequencing, making it suitable for large-scale screening in endemic regions.
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.