Leprosy without visible skin lesions

Leprosy Mailing List –  March 13^th, 2011

Ref:     Leprosy without visible skin lesions   

From:  Ganapati R., Bombay, India 

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Dear Dr Noto,

I refer to the recent LMLs dealing with the occurrence of areas of anaesthesia caused by leprosy without visible skin lesions.  I would like to bring the following references to the knowledge of the readers: -

1)
 “A study of Mono-Neuritic Lesions  in A Leprosy Clinic”, Dongre V.V., Ganapati R., Chulawala R.G. (1976), Leprosy in India, 48 ; 132-137.  An analysis of 11,581 leprosy patients registered at the Acworth Leprosy Hospital clinic showed that 494 cases (4.3%) had primary polyneuritic leprosy and 143 (1.2%) localised cutaneous anaesthetic lesions (or non-visible anaesthetic lesions), accounting for 5.5% who had  no evidence of obvious skin lesions.

2)
 “Epidemiology of (Poly) Neuritic type of leprosy”, Noordeen SK (1972), Leprosy in India, 44: 90-96.  Noordeen prefers the term “neuritic” leprosy to denote involvement of peripheral nerve trunks as well as cutaneous nerves, if skin lesions are not clinically obvious.  His observations on the epidemiology of this type of leprosy reveal that this condition is much more common that what is generally believed and may contribute up to one-sixth (13.6%) of all cases.  Majority of the neuritic cases were found to occur over the age of 40, the 50 to 60 age group accounting for 41.9%.

Indeed it has been rightly observed by Jopling (1971)* that a prolonged polyneuritic phase may precede the appearance of skin lesions in borderlines leprosy.

*Jopling, W.H. 01(1971). In “Handbook of Leprosy”, William Hinemann Medical Books Ltd.,London , pp. 30-31.

With Regards,

Dr R Ganapati,

Director Emeritus, Bombay Leprosy Project

VN Purav Marg,

Sion-Chunabhatti, 400 022

Bombay , India  

Clinical indications for PCR and serum anti phenolic glycolipid (PGL) -1 Ab test?

Leprosy Mailing List –  March 13^th, 2011

Ref:   Clinical indications for PCR and serum anti phenolic glycolipid (PGL) -1 Ab test?

From:  Burdick A E., Miami , Florida , USA

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Dear Dr. Ishii,

Thank you very much for your message about laboratory tests in leprosy in Japan dated LML March 12^th 2011.  I am interested to learn the clinical situations when you use PCR and the serum anti-PGL-1 Ab test?  At the Miami Hansen's Disease Program, we use slit-smear examination and rarely PCR; never lepromin.

I am presenting the lecture "Leprosy in 2011" at the American Academy of Dermatology Summer 2011 meeting and I would like to include information on the use of antibody testing in special clinical cases.

Regards,

Anne E. Burdick, MD, MPH
Medical Director, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Hansen's Disease Program
Professor of Dermatology
Associate Dean for TeleHealth and Clinical Outreach
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
1150 NW 14th Street , Room 206 (R-350)
Miami , Florida 33136 , USA

A case of ENL complicated by a severe form of chicken pox

Leprosy Mailing List –  March 12^th, 2011

Ref:     A case of ENL complicated by a severe form of chicken pox.

From:  Salafia A, Mumbai , India

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Dear Salvatore,

I am really very grateful to all for the many (and prompt) suggestions. These are my update on my patient and a few further comments.

1.
Prof. Frankel: the patient is on a monthly dose of rifampicin.  The steroids given by us, where as 2mg/Kg/daily....

2.

Prof. Fine: yes, small pox was just a suspicion.  I repeat that about two months ago there was a news in the paper that in a remote village - somewhere in India - they had found a case of small pox; this is shocking because according to the Government of India small pox has been eradicated.

3.
The child, is still at Kasturba Hospital which is a Government hospital specialized in infectious diseases.

4.
The Doctor in charge confirmed, a few days ago, that it is a case of ENL but, complicated by a severe form of chicken pox; the child had developed signs of encephalitis (mentioned by Ben Naafs in his case).  She is now recovering.  The ENL reaction is under control too.

5.

They have administered to her some new antiviral drugs (very costly) but when she was admitted she was given lyophilised vaccine containing attenuated oka strain of varicella-zoster virus.  She is still in the hospital but she is recovering well.  

When she will come back to us, for continuing the management of ENL, I will have more news.

Thanks to you and to all.

Best wishes,

Antonio

IDEA newsletter Vol. 14, No. 1, 2010

Leprosy Mailing List –  March 12^th, 2011

Ref:     IDEA newsletter Vol. 14, No. 1, 2010

From:  Erlings J, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Dear Dr Noto;

In attachement is the above mentioned newsletter (PDF).

With kind regards,

Jiske Erlings

Information Officer

Infolep Leprosy Information Services

Postbus / P.O. Box 95005

1090 HA Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Tel: +31 20 5950530

Fax: +31 20 6680823

E-mail: J.Erlings(at)Leprastichting.NL

Web: www.leprosy-information.org

Infoleps Choice of new (e) publications on leprosy (7 March 2011)

Leprosy Mailing List –  March 12^th, 2011

Ref:     Infoleps Choice of new (e) publications on leprosy 2011 03 07

From:  Erlings J, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Dear Dr Noto;

Greetings from Infolep!  Below you will find a selection of new publications on leprosy.  Please contact me for full text versions.  Do you have publications on leprosy to share? Please let me know! 

With kind regards,

Jiske Erlings

Information Officer

Infolep Leprosy Information Services

Postbus / P.O. Box 95005

1090 HA Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Tel: +31 20 5950530

Fax: +31 20 6680823

E-mail: J.Erlings@Leprastichting.NL

Web: www.leprosy-information.org

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Articles

1: Atas M, Citirik M, Sönmez K. [Visual outcome of cataract surgery in leprosy patients.] Turkiye Klinikleri J Ophthalmol . 2011;20(1):26-30. (Turkish)

2: Borg J, Lindström A, Larsson S.
Assistive technology in developing countries: a review from the perspective of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Prosthet Orthot Int. 2011;35(1):20-9 p.

Free full text online: http://www.leprosy-information.org/resource/assistive-technology-developing-countries-review-perspective-convention-rights-persons-disa

3: Contreras-Steyls M, López-Navarro N, Herrera-Acosta E, Castillo R, Ruiz del Portal G, Bosch RJ, et al.
The current challenge of imported leprosy in Spain : a study of 7 cases. Actas dermo-sifiliograficas. 2011.
Free full text online: http://www.leprosy-information.org/resource/current-challenge-imported-leprosy-spain-study-7-cases

4: Costa RD , Mendonça VA , Penido RA, Lyon S, Costa AM, Costa MD, et al.
Study of the profile of the neurotrophin BDNF in new leprosy cases before, during and after multidrug therapy. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2011;69(1):100-4.

Free full text online: http://www.leprosy-information.org/resource/study-profile-neurotrophin-bdnf-new-leprosy-cases-during-and-after-multidrug-therapy

5: Crawford CL, Hardwicke
PM. Experimental leprosy: a model of epithelioid cell granuloma. Int J Dermatol. 2011;50(3):255-61.

6: Mastrangelo G, da Silva Neto J, da Silva GV, Scoizzato L, Fadda E, Dallapicola M, et al.
Leprosy reactions: the effect of gender and household contacts. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2011;106(1):92-6.
Free full text online: http://www.leprosy-information.org/resource/leprosy-reactions-effect-gender-and-household-contacts

7: Melão S, Blanco LF, Mounzer N, Veronezi CC, de Simões PW.[Epidemiological profile of leprosy patients in the extreme south of Santa Catarina between 2001 and 2007]. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical. 2011;44(1):79-84. (Portuguese)

8: NSAGHA D, BISSEK A, NSAGHA S, NJUNDA A, ASSOB J, TABAH E, et al.Social stigma as an epidemiological determinant for leprosy elimination in Cameroon . Journal of Public Health in Africa . 2011.

Free full text online: http://www.leprosy-information.org/resource/social-stigma-epidemiological-determinant-leprosy-elimination-cameroon

9: Pinheiro RO, de Souza Salles J, Sarno EN, Sampaio EP.Mycobacterium leprae-host-cell interactions and genetic determinants in leprosy: an overview. Future Microbiol. 2011;6:217-30.

10: Ponte CM, Gurgel MH, Ponte GA, Ramos AV, Montenegro Júnior RM.
[Metabolic disorders in emerging and neglected infectious diseases.]. Arquivos brasileiros de endocrinologia e metabologia. 2010;54(9):785-92. (Portuguese)

Free full text online: http://www.leprosy-information.org/resource/metabolic-disorders-emerging-and-neglected-infectious-diseases

11: Shannon EJ, Sandoval FG, Morales MJ.In vitro thalidomide does not interfere with the activation of complement by M. leprae. J Drugs Dermatol. 2011;10(3):274-8.

12: Teixeira Junior GJ, Silva CE, Magalhães V.[Application of the diagnostic criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus to patients with multibacillary leprosy.]. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical. 2011;44(1):85-90. (Portuguese).

Free full text online: http://www.leprosy-information.org/resource/application-diagnostic-criteria-systemic-lupus-erythematosus-patients-multibacillary-lepros

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Newsletters, Journals

IDEA Newsletter: issue 1.
Stigma Research & Action:  1^st issue! http://stigmaj.org/

WHO newsletter on Disability and Rehabilitation: issue 12.http://www.who.int/disabilities/publications/newsletter/dar_newsletter_issue12.pdf 

Laboratory tests in leprosy in Japan

Leprosy Mailing List –  March 12^th, 2011

Ref:    Laboratory tests in leprosy in Japan

From: Ishii N, Tokyo, Japan

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Dear Dr Noto;

I refer to Dr Gilead’s message dated LML March 8^th, 2011.  In Japan , we do not use Lepromin reagent.  We do not produce it.  We use slit-skin smear examination, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sometimes serum anti-PGL-1 Ab test.

We have only few new leprosy patients (2009: 2 foreigners,  2010: 4 foreigners).  Laboratory test is covered at Leprosy Research Center NIID, Tokyo .

Best Regards,

Norihisa ISHII　MD, PhD
Director-General, Leprosy Research Center,
National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID)
4-2-1 Aobacho, Higashimurayama,

Tokyo 189-0002 JAPAN

Infolep choice of new (e-)publications on leprosy (21 Feb 2011)

Leprosy Mailing List –  March 8^th, 2011

Ref.:   Infolep choice of new (e-)publications on leprosy 2011 02 21

From: Erlings J., Amsterdam , Netherlands

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Dear Dr Noto,

Greetings from Infolep!  Below you will find a selection of new publications on leprosy.  Please contact me for full text versions.  Do you have publications on leprosy to share? Please let me know! 

With kind regards,

Jiske Erlings

INFOLEP

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Articles

1: Antunes SL, Medeiros MF, Corte-Real S, Jardim MR, da Nery JC, Hacker MA, et al.Microfasciculation: a morphological pattern in leprosy nerve damage. Histopathology. 2011;58(2):304-11.

2: Awofeso N.
Leprosy control, public health paradigms and stigma. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2011;35(1):9-11.

Free full text online: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00662.x/pdf

3: Falus O.
[Leprosy - a stigmata in the 21st century.]. Orvosi hetilap. 2011;152(7):246-51. (Hungarian).

4: Iwata M.
[Clinical Aspects of Leprous Neuropathy.]. Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyu no shinpo. 2011;63(2):157-64. (Japanese).

5: Kai M, Nguyen Phuc NH, Nguyen HA, Pham TH, Nguyen KH, Miyamoto Y, et al.
Analysis of drug-resistant strains of mycobacterium leprae in an endemic area of Vietnam. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52(5):e127-32.
Free full text online: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/52/5/e127.full.pdf+html

6: Luna IT, Beserra EP, Alves MD, da Pinheiro PN.
[Adhesion to Leprosy treatment: inherent difficulties of the patients.]. Revista brasileira de enfermagem. 2010;63(6):983-90. (Portuguese).

Free full text online: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/reben/v63n6/18.pdf

7: Mastrangelo G, da Neto JS, da Silva GV, Scoizzato L, Fadda E, Dallapicol M.
Leprosy reactions: the effect of gender and household contacts. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2011;106(1):92-96.

Free full text online: http://memorias.ioc.fiocruz.br/106(1)/106_1_2272.pdf

8: Matsuo C, Talhari C, Nogueira L, Rabelo RF, Santos MN, Talhari S.
[Borderline lepromatous leprosy.]. Anais brasileiros de dermatologia. 2010;85(6):921-2. (Portuguese)

Free full text online: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/abd/v85n6/en_v85n6a26.pdf

9: Ofosu AA, Bonsu G.
Case control study to determine the factors associated with leprosy in the sene district, brong ahafo region of ghana . Ghana Med J. 2010;44(3):93-7.

Free full text online:http://www.ghanamedj.org/articles/September2010/Final%20Leprosy%20case%20control%20study.pdf

10: Proto RS, Machado Filho CD, Rehder JR, Paixão MP, Angelucci RI.[Quality of life in leprosy: a comparative analysis between patients in the Amazon region and patients in Santo André in the ABC region of São Paulo , Brazil. ].Anais brasileiros de dermatologia. 2010;85(6):939-41.  (Portuguese)
Free full text online: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/abd/v85n6/en_v85n6a30.pdf

11: Rada E, Aranzazu N, Rodríguez V, Borges R, Convit J.[Serological and cellular reactivity to mycobacterial proteins in Hansen's disease]. Invest Clin. 2010;51(3):325-40. (Spanish)
Free full text online: http://www.scielo.org.ve/pdf/ic/v51n3/art04.pdf

12: Rodrigues MM, de Ximenes RA, da Dantas MM, Batista TD, de Freire AL.[UVB susceptibility as a risk factor to the development of lepromatous leprosy.]. Anais brasileiros de dermatologia. 2010;85(6):839-42. (Portuguese)

Free full text online: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0365-05962010000600009&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

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Other Publication(s)

Moran M, Guzman G, Henderson K, Abela-Oversteegen
L. G-finder 2010: Neglected disease research and development: is the global financial crisis changing R&D?. Sydney ; London : Policy Cures; 2011.

http://www.policycures.org/downloads/g-finder_2010.pdf