02514nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001653000800042653001500050653002200065653001200087100001200099700001200111700001700123700001300140700001200153700001200165700001200177700001500189700001400204700001300218700001300231700001200244245011700256856006800373300001200441490000700453520175200460       2016                            d10aAFB10aSkin smear10aM leprae RLEP PCR10aleprosy1 aKamal R1 aDayal R1 aGaidhankar K1 aBiswas S1 aGupta S1 aKumar N1 aKumar R1 aPengoria R1 aChauhan D1 aKatoch K1 aKatoch V1 aSingh P00aRLEP PCR as a Definitive Diagnostic Test for Leprosy from Skin Smear Samples in Childhood and Adolescent Leprosy  uhttp://www.ijl.org.in/2016/1%20R%20Kamal%20et%20al(193-197).pdf  a193-1970 v883 a<p>The present study was conducted to evaluate the results of RLEP <em>M leprae </em>PCR using slit skin scraping samples (SSS) &amp; compare the results with routine slit skin smears for AFB. Seventy three cases of both sexes (42 males and 31 females), 4 to 18 years of age (up to 5 years 4; 6-10 years 17; and the rest 52 between 11 to 18 years), clinically diagnosed cases of leprosy with hypopigmented / erythematous lesions associated with partial/total loss of sensation and/or presence of thickened nerves, diagnosed and classified by the criteria of IAL (1982), were included after obtaining their informed written consent. Skin smears from 30 non-leprosy cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, meningitis, skin diseases etc were also tested for <em>M leprae </em>RLEP PCR following the same protocol, after their informed consent and were included as controls. After clinical examination &amp; clinical categorization two skin smears were taken, one for Z-N staining for AFB &amp; another for <em>M leprae </em>RLEP PCR. After DNA extraction &amp; amplification, electrophoresis was done on 2% agarose gel. Presence of 129bp fragment amplicon (RLEP of <em>M leprae</em>) was considered as positive result for the presence of <em>M leprae </em>DNA. Acid fast bacilli (AFB) positivity in smears after ZN staining was observed in 17/73 (cases (23.3%) and RLEP PCR positivity in 56/76 cases (76.71%). All controls showed negative results with <em>M leprae </em>RLEP PCR. The RLEP PCR technique had a significantly greater positivity ie more than three times that of AFB positivity on ZN staining (p&lt; 0.001). The test can be easily performed and is a less invasive technique than biopsy for establishing the definitive diagnosis of leprosy.</p>