01890nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001500054653001000069653003500079653002200114653001100136653002300147653001000170653001300180653001200193653002800205653003000233100001200263245004400275300001000319490000700329520127400336022001401610       1991                            d  c1991 1210aAdolescent10aChild10aFluorescent Antibody Technique10aFollow-Up Studies10aHumans10aImmunity, Cellular10aIndia10aLepromin10aleprosy10aPopulation Surveillance10aSeroepidemiologic Studies1 aDayal R00aEarly detection of leprosy in children.  a310-20 v373 a<p>Healthy children contacts of leprosy patients had their humoral and cell-mediated immunological status assessed using the Fluorescent Leprosy Antibody Absorption Technique (FLA-ABS) and the Lepromin test, respectively. Subsequently, they were followed up for 2 1/2 years to study the development of overt disease. Two-hundred children were studied and classified into four groups, viz. Group I comprised of children who were FLA-ABS positive and Lepromin positive; Group II = FLA-ABS positive and Lepromin negative; Group III = FLA-ABS negative and Lepromin positive; Group IV = FLA-ABS negative and Lepromin negative. The good cell-mediated immune (CMI) response in the 107 children in Group I prevented them from developing the disease though they had been infected. Out of the 37 children in Group II, 15 developed the disease. There were no children in Group III. None of the 56 children in Group IV developed the disease, possibly because they had not been significantly infected. All these findings were statistically significant (P less than 0.01). This study highlights the protective role of cell-mediated immunity in leprosy. It also suggests the need to carry out surveillance surveys in the endemic population to identify and follow up those at risk.</p>  a0142-6338