02238nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001900055653003300074653001100107653001300118653002300131653001200154653002500166653003000191653002600221100001500247700001700262700001700279700001600296700001500312700001600327700001500343245015400358300001200512490000700524520137900531022001401910       2001                            d  c2001 Nov10aDNA, Bacterial10aDrug Administration Schedule10aHumans10aLepromin10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10apolymerase chain reaction10aRetrospective Studies1 aSantos A R1 aBalassiano V1 aOliveira M L1 aPereira M A1 aSantos P B1 aDegrave W M1 aSuffys P N00aDetection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA by polymerase chain reaction in the blood of individuals, eight years after completion of anti-leprosy therapy.  a1129-330 v963 a<p>Thirty eight patients with indeterminate leprosy (HI), at least 4 to 6 years after discharge from multibacillary (MB) or paucibacillary (PB) schemes of anti leprosy multidrug therapy (MDT), were submitted to traditional diagnostic procedures for leprosy and to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of different clinical samples for detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA. No significant difference was observed for any of the parameters analyzed between PB or MB schemes of treatment and no indications were found for more efficient outcome of HI using the MB scheme. Remarkably, 18 (54.5%) of the individuals were PCR positive in at least one of the samples: positivity of PCR was highest in blood samples and four individuals were PCR positive in blood and some other sample. Upon comparison of PCR results with clinical and histopathological parameters, no correlation was found between PCR-positivity and eventual relapse. This is the first report on detection of M. leprae DNA in PB patients, more than half a decade after completion of MDT, suggesting that live bacilli are present and circulating much longer than expected, although reinfection of the individuals can not be excluded. Overall, we feel that because of the high sensitivity of the assay, extreme care should be taken about association of PCR results, efficacy of treatment and disease status.</p>  a0074-0276