01967nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001900055653002500074653001400099653003800113653001900151653001100170653002500181653001200206653002200218653003900240100001100279700001100290700001600301700001300317700001400330700001400344700001300358700001100371700002400382700001500406700001600421245010600437300001100543490000700554520101800561022001401579       2011                            d  c2011 May10aAutoantibodies10aCase-Control Studies10aCeramides10aEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay10aHIV Infections10aHumans10aImmunohistochemistry10aleprosy10aMyelin P0 Protein10aPeripheral Nervous System Diseases1 aRaju R1 aDevi K1 aMehervani C1 aKumar SA1 aMeena A K1 aReddy P P1 aPranay P1 aJain S1 aArchelos-Gracia J J1 aSuneetha S1 aSuneetha LM00aAntibodies to myelin P0 and ceramide perpetuate neuropathy in long standing treated leprosy patients.  a766-730 v363 a<p>Anti neural antibodies are known to play a role in the immunopathogenesis of nerve damage in leprosy and HIV/AIDS. Myelin Protein zero (P0) and ceramide are two nerve components which maintain the integrity of the peripheral nerve. The present study was undertaken to identify antibodies to myelin P0 and ceramide in the sera of treated leprosy patients, HIV positive individuals and healthy subjects using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). The results revealed that treated leprosy patients continue to have significantly elevated myelin P0 and ceramide antibody levels as compared to healthy subjects (P < 0.05). The elevated antibody response to myelin P0 and ceramide in leprosy patients indicate a low grade autoimmune activity that perpetuates nerve damage in treated leprosy. There was no significant difference in the myelin P0 and ceramide antibody levels between HIV positive and healthy subjects (P > 0.05) suggesting that these antibodies do not play a role in early HIV infection.</p>  a1573-6903