02232nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653002300065653001100088653002200099653001100121653002300132653001100155653001300166653001200179653000900191653002500200653003000225100001600255700001100271700001600282700001200298245010100310856004100411300001100452490000700463050001800470520139200488022001401880       2001                            d  c2001 Sep10aAdult10aBacterial Vaccines10aBiopsy10aDrug Combinations10aFemale10aHistocytochemistry10aHumans10aLepromin10aleprosy10aMale10aMycobacterium leprae10aWorld Health Organization1 aDe Sarkar A1 aKaur I1 aRadotra B D1 aKumar B00aImpact of combined Mycobacterium w vaccine and 1 year of MDT on multibacillary leprosy patients.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v69n3a02.pdf  a187-940 v69  aDESARKAR 20013 a<p>A total of 20 bacteriologically positive multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients older than 18 years of age with a bacterial index (BI) of 2+ or greater were given standard World Health Organization multiple drug therapy (MDT-MB) for 12 consecutive months plus four intradermal doses of Mycobacterium w vaccine at 3 monthly intervals (Study group). Twenty age-matched MB patients were given WHO/MDT alone (Control group). The patients of both groups were followed up for 1 year. Improvements in the patients were periodically monitored by clinical (Ramu's score), bacteriological (SSS), histopathological (skin biopsy) and immunological (lepromin conversion) parameters. Study group patients showed more significant improvements in all parameters except for lepromin conversion compared to patients in the Control group. The incidence of type 1 reaction was more in the Study group (30% vs 10%), while the incidence of type 2 reaction was more in the Control group (25% vs 15%). Neuritis associated with reactions was seen more often in the Control group compared to the Study group (20% vs 10%). The addition of Mycobacterium w vaccine as an adjunct to the 1-year WHO/MDT regimen appears to be significantly more beneficial in MB leprosy patients with a high initial BI compared to WHO/MDT given alone. Studies on larger numbers of patients with extended follow up will be in order.</p>  a0148-916X