02036nas a2200349   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002000055653001900075653001100094653001100105653001200116653000900128653002500137653001700162653003000179653003200209100001500241700001600256700001500272700001300287700001400300700001200314700001400326700001300340245013700353856004800490300001100538490000700549520111600556022001401672       2004                            d  c2004 Aug10aContact Tracing10aDNA, Bacterial10aFemale10aHumans10aleprosy10aMale10aMycobacterium leprae10aNasal Mucosa10apolymerase chain reaction10aSensitivity and Specificity1 aAlmeida EC1 aMartinez AN1 aManiero VC1 aSales AM1 aDuppre NC1 aSarno E1 aSantos AR1 aMoraes M00aDetection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA by polymerase chain reaction in the blood and nasal secretion of Brazilian household contacts.  uhttp://memorias.ioc.fiocruz.br/995/5039.pdf  a509-110 v993 a<p>DNA samples from blood and nasal swabs of 125 healthy household contacts was submitted to amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a Mycobacterium leprae-specific sequence as a target for the detection of subclinical infection with M. leprae. All samples were submitted to hybridization analysis in order to exclude any false positive or negative results. Two positive samples were confirmed from blood out of 119 (1.7%) and two positive samples from nasal secretion out of 120 (1.7%). The analysis of the families with positive individuals showed that 2.5% (n = 3) of the contacts were relatives of multibacilary patients while 0.8% of the cases (n = 1) had a paucibacilary as an index case. All positive contacts were followed up and after one year none of them presented clinical signs of the disease. In spite of the PCR sensitivity to detect the presence of the M. leprae in a subclinical stage, this molecular approach did not seem to be a valuable tool to screen household contacts, since we determined a spurious association of the PCR positivity and further development of leprosy.</p>  a0074-0276