02161nas a2200409   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653000900065653002600074653002700100653002400127653001400151653002300165653001800188653001800206653001600224653003000240653003800270653001600308653001100324653002100335653002100356653001200377653001600389653002500405653002500430653003000455653001700485100001400502700001800516245012600534300001100660490000700671520105900678022001401737       1996                            d  c1996 Oct10aAdult10aAged10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntibodies, Monoclonal10aAntigens, Bacterial10aArgentina10aBacterial Proteins10aChaperonin 1010aChaperonin 6010aChaperonins10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay10aGlycolipids10aHumans10aImmunoglobulin G10aImmunoglobulin M10aleprosy10aMiddle Aged10aMycobacterium leprae10aRecombinant Proteins10aSeroepidemiologic Studies10aTime Factors1 aRojas R E1 aSegal-Eiras A00aImmunoglobulin G response against 10-kDa and 65-kDa heat-shock proteins in leprosy patients and their household contacts.  a189-980 v153 a<p>We measured antibody responses to recombinant Mycobacterium leprae 65-kDa (rML65) and 10-kDa (rML10) by indirect ELISA in sera from leprosy patients, household contacts and healthy controls in a leprosy-endemic area in the north east of Argentina. Serum antibody levels to those antigens were correlated with IgM anti-phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) levels, with bacterial index and the period of time under chemotherapy. Bacterial index positive (BI+) patients showed higher mean values when compared with BI negatives (BI-). Among lepromatous patients a positive correlation was observed between IgG antibody responses to both recombinant antigens and IgM antibody response to PGL-I. Anti-rML10 test detected a higher percentage of positives/total than anti-rML65 in all leprosy groups and healthy contacts. Bacterial load, leprosy clinical form and the time under chemotherapy were factors which could influence levels of the antibody response. The contribution of these antibody studies for a precise and early diagnosis in leprosy is discussed.</p>  a0928-8244