Review: Mycobacterium leprae - millennium resistant! Leprosy control on the threshold of a new era

Leprosy is the most ancient bacterial disease in the history of mankind. It remains still public health problem in the countries where it is endemic. Leprosy (Hansens disease) is a chronic infectious disease which is diagnosable and curable if recognized early and treated adequately. The infectious agent of leprosy is Mycobacterium leprae which is only bacteria to infect peripheral nerves. Leprosy is characterized by a variety of abnormal immune response. It depends on the integrity of the hosts specific CMI response to the M. leprae and it may be genetically determined. Antileprotic multidrugs therapy (MDT) as recommended by WHO is now the standard and accepted method for leprosy control. Leprosy can not be completely rooted out with physicians, control offices, leprosaria and propaganda; it will disappear when the economic and cultural factors change, because leprosy is the thermometer of civilization. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v24i1.14116 Medicine TODAY Vol.24(1) 2012 pp.44-47

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Subclinical infection with Mycobacterium leprae—a problem for leprosy control strategies

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ◽

10.1016/0035-9203(93)90016-j ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 87 (4) ◽

pp. 412-415 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Karl W. Baumgart ◽

Warwick J. Britton ◽

Raymond J. Mullins ◽

Antony Basten ◽

Ross St C. Barnetson

Keyword(s):

Control Strategies ◽

Mycobacterium Leprae ◽

Subclinical Infection ◽

Leprosy Control

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Mycobacterium leprae transmission characteristics during the declining stages of leprosy incidence: A systematic review

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0009436 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. e0009436

Author(s):

Thomas Hambridge ◽

Shri Lak Nanjan Chandran ◽

Annemieke Geluk ◽

Paul Saunderson ◽

Jan Hendrik Richardus

Keyword(s):

Substantial Reduction ◽

Mycobacterium Leprae ◽

Supporting Evidence ◽

Transmission Characteristics ◽

Control Programmes ◽

Leprosy Case ◽

Endemic Areas ◽

Substantial Decline ◽

Distinct Increase ◽

Leprosy Control

Background Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. As incidence begins to decline, the characteristics of new cases shifts away from those observed in highly endemic areas, revealing potentially important insights into possible ongoing sources of transmission. We aimed to investigate whether transmission is driven mainly by undiagnosed and untreated new leprosy cases in the community, or by incompletely treated or relapsing cases. Methodology/Principal findings A literature search of major electronic databases was conducted in January, 2020 with 134 articles retained out of a total 4318 records identified (PROSPERO ID: CRD42020178923). We presented quantitative data from leprosy case records with supporting evidence describing the decline in incidence across several contexts. BCG vaccination, active case finding, adherence to multidrug therapy and continued surveillance following treatment were the main strategies shared by countries who achieved a substantial reduction in incidence. From 3950 leprosy case records collected across 22 low endemic countries, 48.3% were suspected to be imported, originating from transmission outside of the country. Most cases were multibacillary (64.4%) and regularly confirmed through skin biopsy, with 122 cases of suspected relapse from previous leprosy treatment. Family history was reported in 18.7% of cases, while other suspected sources included travel to high endemic areas and direct contact with armadillos. None of the countries included in the analysis reported a distinct increase in leprosy incidence in recent years. Conclusions/Significance Together with socioeconomic improvement over time, several successful leprosy control programmes have been implemented in recent decades that led to a substantial decline in incidence. Most cases described in these contexts were multibacillary and numerous cases of suspected relapse were reported. Despite these observations, there was no indication that these cases led to a rise in new secondary cases, suggesting that they do not represent a large ongoing source of human-to-human transmission.

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Mutation of Gyra Gene Found In Mycobacterium Leprae From Leprosy Patient In West Papua and Papua, Indonesia

INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY ◽

10.22146/ijp.848 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yustinus Maladan ◽

Hana Krismawati ◽

Rosana Agus ◽

Hotma M.L. Hutapea ◽

Ratna Tanjung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Leprae ◽

Molecular Tools ◽

Gyra Gene ◽

In Vitro Methods ◽

New Variant ◽

West Papua ◽

Leprosy Patients ◽

2D Structure ◽

Leprosy Control

Cases of leprosy in Indonesia are still high, especially in the provinces of West Papua, North Maluku and Papua. Drug resistance surveillance and typing strains of Mycobacterium leprae are useful molecular tools for leprosy control especially in the three Provinces. The purpose of this study was to identify mutations in the gyrA M. leprae gene obtained from leprosy patients in the provinces of West Papua and Papua on a molecular basis. M. leprae samples obtained from leprosy patients were extracted and continued with PCR and sequencing in the M. leprae gyrA gene. The sequencing results are aligned with M. leprae TN sequences to identify mutations. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using Mega 7 to get the M. leprae gyrA cluster. The RNAalifold server was employed to generate the conserved 2D structure for the gyrA MSAs. Six variants were found in the gyrA M. leprae obtained from the provinces of West Papua and Papua. The six variants are H71R, K73R, D95G, A101T, R107W, A127V. The existence of mutations in the gyrA M. leprae gene found in this study can be information in the treatment of leprosy in Papua if using Ofloxacin as an alternative treatment. Based on phylogenetic analysis found there are three distinct clusters of gyrA gene. The five variants are H71R, K73R, A101T, R107W, A127V are new variant of gyrA M. leprae. The D95G variant has been confirmed to cause resistance to Fluoroquinolone by in vitro methods, while the H71R, K73R, A101T, R107W, A127V variants are new variants whose effects on the fluoroquinolone are unknown. Thus, further analysis is needed to study the effects of the five variants on ofloxacin.

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Studies on dapsone-resistant Mycobacterium Leprae in leprosy patients of Gudiyatham Taluk, the leprosy control area of the Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Centre, Karigiri. 2. A progress report

Leprosy Review ◽

10.5935/0305-7518.19830025 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 54 (3) ◽

Author(s):

J. G. ALMEIDA ◽

M. CHRISTIAN ◽

C. J. G. CHACKO ◽

P. M. TAYLOR ◽

E. P. FRITSCHI

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Leprae ◽

Control Area ◽

Progress Report ◽

Training Centre ◽

Leprosy Patients ◽

And Training ◽

Leprosy Control

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Unbiased estimation of particle number and sizes using the new stereological tools: the disector, the fractionator, the selector, and the nucleator — or just point-sampled intercepts

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100104200 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 46 ◽

pp. 428-429

Author(s):

H.J.G. Gundersen

Keyword(s):

Particle Number ◽

Small Distance ◽

Parallel Plane ◽

Unbiased Estimation ◽

Severe Problem ◽

New Era ◽

Size And Shape ◽

Distinct Property ◽

Sectioned Tissue

Previously, all stereological estimation of particle number and sizes were based on models and notoriously gave biased results, were very inefficient to use and difficult to justify. For all references to old methods and a direct comparison with unbiased methods see recent reviews.The publication in 1984 of the DISECTOR, the first unbiased stereological probe for sampling and counting 3—D objects irrespective of their size and shape, signalled the new era in stereology — and give rise to a number of remarkably simple and efficient techniques based on its distinct property: It is the only known way to obtain an unbiased sample of 3-D objects (cells, organelles, etc). The principle is simple: within a 2-D unbiased frame count or sample only cells which are not hit by a parallel plane at a known, small distance h.The area of the frame and h must be known, which might sometimes in itself be a problem, albeit usually a small one. A more severe problem may arise because these constants are known at the scale of the fixed, embedded and sectioned tissue which is often shrunken considerably.

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Drug Induced Changes in Cell Organelles

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100100299 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. 110-111

Author(s):

Sarah A. Luse

Keyword(s):

Clinical Medicine ◽

Cell Organelles ◽

Riboflavin Deficiency ◽

Drug Induced ◽

New Era ◽

Health And Disease ◽

In The Beginning ◽

Cellular Pathology ◽

Induced Changes ◽

The Impact

In the mid-nineteenth century Virchow revolutionized pathology by introduction of the concept of “cellular pathology”. Today, a century later, this term has increasing significance in health and disease. We now are in the beginning of a new era in pathology, one which might well be termed “organelle pathology” or “subcellular pathology”. The impact of lysosomal diseases on clinical medicine exemplifies this role of pathology of organelles in elucidation of disease today.Another aspect of cell organelles of prime importance is their pathologic alteration by drugs, toxins, hormones and malnutrition. The sensitivity of cell organelles to minute alterations in their environment offers an accurate evaluation of the site of action of drugs in the study of both function and toxicity. Examples of mitochondrial lesions include the effect of DDD on the adrenal cortex, riboflavin deficiency on liver cells, elevated blood ammonia on the neuron and some 8-aminoquinolines on myocardium.

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