Fw: Ref.: (LML) Semi-quantitative mLAMP for the laboratory confirmation of leprosy

 

 

Leprosy Mailing List –  July 24,  2026

 

Ref.:  (LML) Semi-quantitative mLAMP for the laboratory confirmation of leprosy

From: Pieter Schreuder, Maastricht, the Netherlands

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Dear colleagues,

 

In recent publications in LML Joel Almeida (Mumbai, India) has repeatedly referred to the semi-quantitative mLAMP for the laboratory confirmation of leprosy as an important new tool to detect those in the community who are most likely responsible for the spreading of M.leprae. In those studies clinical samples like skin biopsies and slit-skin smears rather than explicitly restricting or defining the assay protocol around nasal swaps alone. The claim is that the test can be used under field conditions: isothermal, no thermocycler, no cold chain, naked-eye readout of colour or turbidity.

 

One of those studies he referred to was from Malkin Saar and co-authors:

Malkin Saar, Marcus Beissner, Fatih Gültekin, Issaka Maman, Karl-Heinz Herbinger , Gisela Bretzel: RLEP LAMP for the laboratory confirmation of leprosy: towards a point-of-care test. BMC Infect Dis. 2021 Nov 25;21:1186

Abstract

Nucleic acid-based amplification tests (NAAT), above all (q)PCR, have been applied for the detection of Mycobacterium leprae in leprosy cases and household contacts with subclinical infection. However, their application in the field poses a range of technical challenges. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), as a promising point-of-care NAAT does not require sophisticated laboratory equipment, is easy to perform, and is applicable for decentralized diagnosis at the primary health care level. Among a range of gene targets, the M. leprae specific repetitive element RLEP is regarded as highly sensitive and specific for diagnostic applications. Conclusion:the ready-to-use RLEP DRB LAMP assay constitutes an ASSURED test ready for field-based evaluation trials aiming for routine diagnosis of leprosy at the primary health care level.

For those interested or even planning any leprosy survey it is strongly advised to read the original publications.

With many thanks to Joel Almeida.

 

Best regards,

 

Pieter AM Schreuder

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LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder

LML blog link: http://leprosymailinglist.blogspot.it/

Contact: Dr Pieter Schreuder << edit...@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

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