01686nas a2200409   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002600055653002400081653002600105653001600131653001200147653003000159653001600189653001100205653002100216653002300237653001200260653002400272653002500296653002800321653002500349653001300374653000900387653001700396100001400413700001600427700001600443700001600459700001200475700001800487245011600505300001000621490000700631520062400638022001401262       1991                            d  c1991 Jun10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntigens, Bacterial10aCarbohydrate Sequence10aClofazimine10aDapsone10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aGlycolipids10aHumans10aImmunoglobulin M10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aLeprosy, Borderline10aLeprosy, lepromatous10aMolecular Sequence Data10aMycobacterium leprae10aRifampin10aSkin10aTime Factors1 aRoche P W1 aBritton W J1 aNeupane K D1 aFailbus S S1 aCho S N1 aTheuvenet W J00aThe response to chemotherapy of serum Mycobacterium leprae-specific antigen in multibacillary leprosy patients.  a702-80 v443 a<p>We have examined the Mycobacterium leprae phenolic glycolipid-I (PG-I) antigen levels in the sera of 45 multibacillary leprosy patients commencing chemotherapy. The PG-I antigen levels correlated with the bacterial and morphological indices, but not with the serum IgM anti-PG-I antibody levels. Antigen levels were significantly higher in patients with diffuse skin infiltration, but did not vary significantly with other parameters reflecting the duration and extent of untreated disease. The PG-I antigen levels in 27 patients examined serially decreased consistently over the first year of multidrug therapy.</p>  a0002-9637