TY - JOUR KW - Adenosine Triphosphate KW - Biopsy KW - Clofazimine KW - Dapsone KW - DNA, Bacterial KW - Drug Evaluation KW - Drug Therapy, Combination KW - Humans KW - Leprostatic Agents KW - leprosy KW - Minocycline KW - Mycobacterium leprae KW - Ofloxacin KW - polymerase chain reaction KW - Rifampin KW - Sensitivity and Specificity KW - Treatment Outcome AU - Singh H B AU - Katoch K AU - Natrajan M AU - Sharma R K AU - Gupta U D AU - Sharma V D AU - Singh D AU - Chauhan D S AU - Srivastava K AU - Katoch V M AB -

In order to develop objective criteria to monitor trends of therapeutic responses positivity of PCR signals and ATP assay methods has been compared in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients. Biopsies from lesions of 95 BL/LL patients before and after one year of treatment with a new drug regimen comprising of conventional and newer drugs ofloxacin and minocycline have been studied. These biopsies were processed for bacillary ATP assay and PCR positivity for a 36 kDa gene target by earlier published methods. In the untreated patients bacillary ATP levels were detectable in all specimens and ranged from 0.02 to more than 36 pg/millions organisms. After one year of treatment ATP levels were not detectable in any of the 57 biopsies specimens available for analysis. However, PCR signals were detectable in 3 out of 57 biopsies. In two specimens signals were very weak detectable only by hybridization. It may be concluded that DNA based PCR assay may be useful in monitoring the trends of therapeutic responses in MB patients under treatment.

BT - Acta leprologica C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10987049?dopt=Abstract DA - 1999 IS - 4 J2 - Acta Leprol LA - eng N2 -

In order to develop objective criteria to monitor trends of therapeutic responses positivity of PCR signals and ATP assay methods has been compared in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients. Biopsies from lesions of 95 BL/LL patients before and after one year of treatment with a new drug regimen comprising of conventional and newer drugs ofloxacin and minocycline have been studied. These biopsies were processed for bacillary ATP assay and PCR positivity for a 36 kDa gene target by earlier published methods. In the untreated patients bacillary ATP levels were detectable in all specimens and ranged from 0.02 to more than 36 pg/millions organisms. After one year of treatment ATP levels were not detectable in any of the 57 biopsies specimens available for analysis. However, PCR signals were detectable in 3 out of 57 biopsies. In two specimens signals were very weak detectable only by hybridization. It may be concluded that DNA based PCR assay may be useful in monitoring the trends of therapeutic responses in MB patients under treatment.

PY - 1999 SP - 179 EP - 82 T2 - Acta leprologica TI - Effect of treatment on PCR positivity in multibacillary leprosy patients treated with conventional and newer drugs ofloxacin and minocycline. VL - 11 SN - 0001-5938 ER -