@article{9702,
  keywords = {Bacteriological Techniques, Cells, Cultured, DNA, Bacterial, Ethidium, Fluoresceins, Humans, leprosy, Macrophages, Mycobacterium leprae, Scintillation Counting, Staining and Labeling, Thymidine},
  author = {Harshan K V and Prasad H K and Chopra N K and Mishra R S and Gogiya P and Nath I},
  title = {Comparison of radiometric macrophage assay and fluorescein diacetate/ethidium bromide staining for evaluation of M. leprae viability.},
  abstract = {<p>Earlier studies from our laboratory reported that a radiometric Mycobacterium leprae resident macrophage assay was a useful in vitro indicator of bacillary viability with good correlation with the established mouse foot pad model. The present study compares our assay with the recently described fluorescein diacetate/ethidium bromide (FDA/EB) method. M. leprae extracted from the dermal lesions of 73 bacilliferous leprosy patients were tested concurrently by both techniques. Good correlation (r = 0.52, p less than 0.001) was found between the radiometric assay evaluating DNA synthesis and the FDA/EB staining reflecting the presence of active esterase enzyme. In addition, the utility of the FDA/EB staining in the monitoring of therapy was established. Twenty-two patients treated for greater than 1 year showed lower numbers of green fluorescing bacilli when compared to 19 untreated or short-term-treated individuals.</p>},
  year = {1987},
  journal = {International journal of leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases : official organ of the International Leprosy Association},
  volume = {55},
  pages = {316-21},
  month = {1987 Jun},
  issn = {0148-916X},
  language = {eng},
}