01220nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002700055653001200082653003100094653001100125653001200136653002500148100001500173245008200188300001000270490000700280520071300287022001401000       1984                            d  c1984 Jun10aAdenosine Triphosphate10aDapsone10aDrug Resistance, Microbial10aHumans10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae1 aDhople A M00aAdenosine triphosphate content of Mycobacterium leprae from leprosy patients.  a183-80 v523 a<p>Mycobacterium leprae obtained from randomly selected lepromatous leprosy patients were used to evaluate the ATP assay technique for detecting viability of these cells. The findings were further confirmed by the standard mouse foot pad technique. While the latter takes about 8-12 months to obtain any valid information on the status of M. leprae, the ATP data can be generated within hours and at much lower cost. It is hoped that the ATP data could also instantaneously identify viable bacilli from patients taking dapsone and thereby identify dapsone-resistant patients so that alternative treatment could be given. The advantages of this method over other currently available methods are discussed.</p>  a0148-916X