RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease primarily affecting the peripheral nervous system and skin. Multibacillary leprosy is associated with nerve damage which could contribute to myelin alteration. As ceramide is a constituent of myelin sheath, the present study aimed to compare anti-ceramide antibody titre in paucibacillary and multibacillary leprosy patients with controls. METHODOLOGY: Serum levels of anti-ceramide antibody were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in 50 leprosy patients (25 paucibacillary and 25 multibacillary) and 25 healthy controls. Results were reported in OD units as mean +/- SD and analyzed by Chi square test (significance at p < 0.05). RESULTS: Patients suffering from multibacillary leprosy had significantly higher anti-ceramide antibody serum levels compared to paucibacillary leprosy patients and healthy controls (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Since nerve damage is the most debilitating effect of leprosy, the search for a serum marker for assessing nerve damage is required in countries where leprosy is still widespread. In multibacillary leprosy patients, the role of anti-ceramide antibody as a marker for nerve damage should be explored.
Assuntos
Autoanticorpos/sangue , Ceramidas/imunologia , Hanseníase/diagnóstico , Sistema Nervoso/patologia , Biomarcadores , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Humanos , MasculinoAssuntos
Biópsia , Fibras Nervosas/metabolismo , Fibras Nervosas/patologia , Glândulas Sudoríparas/fisiopatologia , Hanseníase/fisiopatologia , Hanseníase/metabolismo , Hanseníase/patologia , Imuno-Histoquímica , Limiar Sensorial/fisiologia , Pele/fisiopatologia , Pele/inervação , Pele/metabolismo , Pele/patologia , Sensação/fisiologia , Sistema Nervoso Autônomo/fisiopatologia , Sistema Nervoso/metabolismo , Sistema Nervoso/patologia , Temperatura Alta , Tioléster Hidrolases/metabolismoAssuntos
Hanseníase/imunologia , Hanseníase/patologia , Sistema Nervoso/patologia , Animais , Axônios/patologia , Ativação do Complemento , Granuloma/imunologia , Granuloma/patologia , Humanos , Linfócitos/imunologia , Linfócitos/patologia , Sistema Nervoso/imunologia , Neurite (Inflamação)/etiologia , Neurite (Inflamação)/imunologia , Neurite (Inflamação)/patologiaRESUMO
Dermatomic analysis of the distribution of the hypopigmented patches of leprosy has revealed a pattern wherein patches are most frequent in dermatomes of the brachial plexus, decrease gradually in frequency in succeeding spinal segments and increase again in dermatomes of the lumbar plexus. The predilection of hypopigmented patches for certain dermatomes may be a reflection of easy vulnerability of the neural pigmentary mechanism and/or a reflection of selective multiplication of M. leprae in nerves of certain dermatomes, even though the organisms might have been seeded all over the body by hematogenous spread. These preliminary observations are discussed.