02730nas a2200289   4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653002400054653002400078653002000102653004700122653001800169653001000187100001200197700001400209700001200223700001500235700001400250700001300264700001200277700001500289245007800304856005500382300001600437490000700453520198000460       2018                            d10aleprosy10alepromatous leprosy10aphosphofructokinase10aM. lepromatosis10aCoproporphyrinogen III oxidase (hemN) gene10a16S rRNA gene10aIndia1 aAhuja M1 aLavania M1 aSingh I1 aTurankar R1 aChhabra S1 aNarang T1 aDogra S1 aSengupta U00aDetection of Mycobacterium lepromatosis in patients with leprosy in India  uhttps://www.dovepress.com/getfile.php?fileID=45188  a1677–16830 v113 a<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> The most commonly noted reactions in leprosy patients are type 1 reactions and erythema nodosum leprosum, with some rare phenomenon of host response known as Lucio phenomenon or leprosy of Lucio and Latapi which is caused by <em>Mycobacterium lepromatosis</em>. So far, no case of <em>M. lepromatosis</em> has been reported from India.<br />
<strong>Materials and methods:</strong> The main objective of this study was to detect any positive cases of <em>M. lepromatosis</em> in India with such a complication. We screened slit skin smear/biopsy samples from lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients reporting to The Leprosy Mission Community Hospitals across the country. Eighty-eight slit skin smears were collected from leprosy patients in 70% ethanol. DNA was extracted from all these samples. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done for 2 genes; one set was for <em>16S rRNA</em> and the other set was for <em>coproporphyrinogen III oxidase (hemN)</em> gene. Then, sequencing was done for all positive amplicons. Homology of the sequences was analyzed using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool at the National Center of Biotechnology Information database.<br />
<strong>Results:</strong> Among 88 isolates, we found 4 positive cases for <em>M.&nbsp;lepromatosis</em>. All 4 were LL cases with a bacteriological index ranging from 2+ to 4+. On the basis of the National Center of Biotechnology Information Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis, the sequenced amplicons of both genes matched with the <em>M. lepromatosis 16S rRNA</em> and phosphofructokinase genes but not with <em>hemN</em> gene of lepromatosis. This is the first report for the presence of <em>M. lepromatosis</em> in LL cases from India.<br />
<strong>Conclusion:</strong> This new species M. lepromatosis exists beyond Mexico, Singapore and it is the cause of DLL in India also. It may cause dual infections along with M. leprae in endemic areas like India.</p>