01748nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653001500067653001100082653001300093653001200106653001500118653001800133100001700151700002000168700001200188700001900200700001700219700001500236700001700251700001200268700001700280245009000297300001000387490000800397520101500405022001401420       1993                            d  c1993 Jan10aAnimals10aArmadillos10aHumans10aLepromin10aleprosy10aSkin Tests10aUnited States1 aKrotoski W A1 aMroczkowski T F1 aRea T H1 aAlmodóvar P I1 aClements B C1 aNeimes R E1 aKahkonen M K1 aJob C K1 aHastings R C00aLepromin skin testing in the classification of Hansen's disease in the United States.  a18-240 v3053 a<p>Hansen's disease, or leprosy, although a relatively uncommon disease in the United States, continues to be important because of its implications--physical, psychological, and social--for the patient. Prognosis and treatment of the disease are based largely on clinical classification, which ranges from the multibacillary "lepromatous" to the paucibacillary "tuberculoid" forms, depending on the patient's specific immune capabilities. Traditionally, skin testing with lepromins--suspensions of the etiologic agent of Hansen's disease, Mycobacterium leprae--have been used as adjuncts to clinical parameters for classification in endemic areas. However, these have not been systematically studied in the United States. This report describes the results obtained from skin testing 38 volunteers (22 patients and 16 uninfected persons) with standard lepromin preparations. These results support the adjunctive value of lepromins for clinically classifying Hansen's disease in our "hypoendemic" population.</p>  a0002-9629