02024nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001600055653002600071653002400097653003800121653001100159653002000170653001100190653001200201653001100213653000900224653002500233653001600258100001200274700001900286700001400305700001700319700001500336245014800351856004100499300001100540490000700551520111400558022001401672       1988                            d  c1988 Jun10aAge Factors10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntigens, Bacterial10aEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay10aFemale10aGlycoconjugates10aHumans10aleprosy10aMalawi10aMale10aMycobacterium leprae10aSex Factors1 aFine PE1 aPonnighaus J M1 aBURGESS P1 aClarkson J A1 aDraper C C00aSeroepidemiological studies of leprosy in northern Malawi based on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using synthetic glycoconjugate antigen.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v56n2a05.pdf  a243-540 v563 a<p>A total of 6002 blood samples from total population samples in four separate areas within Karonga District, Northern Malawi, were tested for anti-Mycobacterium leprae antibody using an ELISA based on synthetic glycoconjugate antigen. Results are presented using different criteria for seropositivity. Regardless of the criterion used, the proportion of individuals classified as "positive" rose to a peak at 20-30 years of age and then fell, and it was higher at all ages in females than in males. There was no difference in seropositivity levels between individuals with or without BCG scars. Although leprosy cases, in particular those with positive smears, had higher antibody levels than nonleprosy cases, analysis of age-standardized data revealed only weak evidence for a correlation between the prevalence rates of clinical leprosy and of seropositivity within the four areas. There was no evidence for higher seropositivity levels in household contacts of leprosy cases compared to noncontacts. The implications of these results for the epidemiology of leprosy in this population are discussed.</p>  a0148-916X