IL-10 promoter SNPs and susceptibility to leprosy in ethnic groups from southwest China.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter polymorphisms are associated with leprosy or their subtypes in ethnic groups from southwest China. Genotyping using TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Master Mix and ABI 7500 real-time PCR system was performed for IL-10 T3575A, G2849A, C2763A, A1082G, C819T, and C592A in 189 healthy controls (40 ± 18 years) and 193 patients (46 ± 18 years) with leprosy [multibacillary, N = 131; paucibacillary (PB), N = 62]. The allelic frequencies of -2763C (97.9 vs 94.0%, P = 0.0074) and -1082A (92.8 vs 88.6%, P = 0.0452) in leprosy patients were significantly higher than in control subjects. The genetic frequency of -2763CC and -1082AA was not only significantly higher among leprosy patients than among control subjects [odds ratio (OR) = 3.33, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.39-7.99, P = 0.0071 and OR = 1.76, 95%CI = 1.02-3.03, P = 0.0420, respectively] but also significantly higher among PB patients than among control subjects (OR = 2.46, 95%CI = 1.22-4.96, P = 0.0115 and OR = 5.58, 95%CI = 2.06-15.12, P = 0.0007, respectively). The frequency of IL-10 haplotype 3575A/2849G/2763A/1082G/819C/592C was significantly higher among leprosy patients (OR = 5.57, 95%CI = 1.13-27.52, P = 0.0351) and PB patients (OR = 10.5, 95%CI = 1.36- 81.05, P = 0.0241) than among control subjects. IL-10 promoter -2763C/CC,-1082A/AA and haplotype 3575A/2849G/2763A/1082 G/819C/592C are associated with susceptibility to leprosy and the PB subtype in southwest China.

Experiences from a collaborative project on the prevention of disability in leprosy patients in Shandong Province, the People's Republic of China.

Shandong Province (present population 89 million) in the People's Republic of China established a leprosy control programme in 1955. Between that year and the end of 1999, allowing for death and migration, the cumulative number of cases registered was 53,618, including 120 cases on multiple drug therapy (MDT) and 18,248 who had completed satisfactory courses of dapsone monotherapy and/or MDT. Of this latter group, 9500 cases (52%) suffered from visible disabilities (grade 2 of the WHO classification). Prevalence and incidence rates of leprosy have decreased dramatically since 1955 and, on average, only 50-70 new cases are now being detected annually in the entire province. Leprosy is thus no longer a public health problem, but the existence of such a large number of patients with grade 2 disabilities is clearly a matter of serious concern. This paper describes a pilot project to investigate the potential of health personnel in the leprosy programme and the dermatology and sexually transmitted diseases services to (a) prevent deterioration of existing disabilities in ex-patients through self-care and (b) prevent new neuritis in patients on MDT through early detection and the use of steroids.