02590nas a2200433   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653001600080653000900096653002400105653001600129653001000145653002100155653001100176653001000187653001100197653001200208653001600220653001600236653001500252100001100267700001200278700001300290700001700303700001700320700001500337700001400352700001500366700001600381700001600397245007000413856004100483300001000524490000700534520160100541022001402142       1989                            d  c1989 Dec10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAge Factors10aAged10aAntigens, Bacterial10aBCG Vaccine10aChild10aChild, Preschool10aHumans10aIndia10aInfant10aleprosy10aMiddle Aged10aSex Factors10aSkin Tests1 aLord R1 aNaish C1 aTaylor C1 aStanford C A1 aStanford C J1 aChacko J G1 aDebanbu V1 aSamson P D1 aBerchmans J1 aSurendran D00aSkin test studies on close contacts of leprosy patients in India.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v57n4a08.pdf  a801-90 v573 a<p>Skin-test studies with a series of tuberculins have been carried out in close contacts of multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients around three leprosy centers in India, and casual contacts of the disease around two centers. The results show that the rate of acquisition of leprosin A positivity is associated with age and the closeness of contact with MB leprosy. At the age of 15 years, the differences between the two types of contact were highly significant (p less than 0.00001). Many responses to leprosin A are directed toward the group iv species-specific, antigens of the leprosy bacillus, and the significance of positivity is discussed in relation to protective immunity from leprosy. The differences from Iran show that positivity to leprosin A is not solely the effect of the degree of contact with the disease, but must also have a genetic or environmental element, the latter being favored. The results from Miraj show that the high levels of tuberculin, scrofulin, and vaccin positivity seen in Fathimanagar, and to a lesser extent in Karigiri, are not a consequence of contact with leprosy. BCG vaccination made little difference to the leprosin A positivity of close contacts of leprosy patients, although it significantly enhanced positivity among casual contacts around Miraj (p less than 0.002). BCG vaccination significantly increased tuberculin positivity in Miraj and Karigri, and in those under 11 years of age in Fathimanagar. It made no difference to the already high level of positivity found in older persons around Fathimanagar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)</p>
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