02441nas a2200409   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653002600067653002400093653001500117653003100132653003800163653001600201653002100217653001200238653001600250653000900266653002400275653002500299653003000324100001200354700001200366700001700378700001500395700001500410700001600425700001500441700001700456245015400473856005900627300001100686490000700697050003200704520128100736022001402017       1991                            d  c1991 Dec10aAnimals10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntigens, Bacterial10aArmadillos10aBacteriological Techniques10aEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay10aGlycolipids10aImmunoglobulin M10aleprosy10aLymph Nodes10aMice10aMice, Inbred BALB C10aMycobacterium leprae10apolymerase chain reaction1 aJob C K1 aDrain V1 aWilliams D L1 aGillis T P1 aTruman R W1 aSanchez R M1 aDeming A T1 aHastings R C00aComparison of polymerase chain reaction technique with other methods for detection of Mycobacterium leprae in tissues of wild nine-banded armadillos.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1991/v62n4/pdf/v62n4a02.pdf  a362-730 v62  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Thirty, nine-banded armadillos weighing between 3 and 5 kilograms trapped from an area endemic for armadillo leprosy were collected at random; killed, autopsied and examined histopathologically. Also, one of the right inguinal lymph nodes was removed under sterile precautions and examined using PCR, direct smear examination, mouse footpad study, culture in laboratory media and histopathology with a view to detecting Mycobacterium leprae. Blood was collected at death and tested for IgM antibodies to PGL-1. According to the PCR study of the inguinal lymph nodes 16 of 30 armadillos (53.3%) had evidence of M. leprae. Significant levels of IgM antibodies to PGL-1 and identifiable lepromatous granuloma in inguinal lymph nodes were found in 2 animals (6.7%) with advanced disseminated disease. The prevalence of generalized leprosy according to autopsy study was 13.3% and according to histopathological examination of ear tissue 3.3%. The presence of M. leprae in the tissues evoked no special tissue reaction in the early stages. The pattern of spread of the disease in 2 animals closely resembled that found in experimental animals infected intracutaneously. Initiation of infection by inoculation of M. leprae through thorn pricks remains a distinct possibility.</p>  a0305-7518