01912nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653001200059653001600071653001900087653001200106653002100118653001400139653001100153653001200164653001700176653001500193100001500208700001500223700001200238700001700250245012800267300001000395490000700405520119600412022001401608       1977                            d  c1977 Apr-Jun10aAmyloid10aAmyloidosis10aBlood Proteins10aClimate10aErythema Nodosum10aGeography10aHumans10aleprosy10aLeukocytosis10aNew Guinea1 aMcAdam K P1 aAnders R F1 aAiken G1 aTakitaki F F00aSecondary amyloidosis and the serum amyloid precursor in leprosy: geographical variation and association with leukocytosis.  a150-70 v453 a<p>The prevalence of the amyloid-related serum component, protein SAA, was investigated in two groups of leprosy patients from different areas of Papua New Guinea. Protein SAA was more prevalent in coastal leprosy patients (49% positive) than in highland patients (21% positive). Paradoxically, many more cases of amyloidosis were diagnosed in the highland group (17 of 199) than in the coastal group (3 of 112). In the highland patient group, SAA was found to correlate with the leprosy disease spectrum, being more prevalent in patients toward the lepromatous pole. Borderline and tuberculoid patients who had detectable SAA usually had neurotrophic ulcers. No such relationships were observed in the coastal patient group, probably because other infections, more common on the coast, were also responsible for causing increased concentrations of SAA which is known to behave as an acute phase reactant. A correlation was observed between SAA positivity and neutrophil leukocytosis. This suggests that various inflammatory stimuli such as erythema nodosum leprosum reactions, neurotrophic ulcers and intercurrent infections, all contribute to the prevalence of SAA in leprosy patients.</p>  a0148-916X