期刊
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
卷 12, 期 6, 页码 -出版社
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006532
关键词
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资金
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) [486183/2013-0, 448741/2014-8, 481652/2012-4, 402239/2012-1]
- Coordenacao de Aperfiecoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior [CAPES BEX 6907/14-8, 157512-0]
- CAPES PROAMAZONIA [3288/2013]
- Fulbright Scholar
- Heiser Program of the New York Community Trust for Research in Leprosy [P15-000827, P16-000976]
- Colorado State University Libraries Open Access Research and Scholarship (OARS) Fund
- PROPESP/UFPA
- FADESP
Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) is a human pathogen and the causative agent for leprosy, a chronic disease characterized by lesions of the skin and peripheral nerve damage. Zoonotic transmission of M. leprae to humans by nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) has been shown to occur in the southern United States, mainly in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Nine-banded armadillos are also common in South America, and residents living in some areas in Brazil hunt and kill armadillos as a dietary source of protein. This study examines the extent of M. leprae infection in wild armadillos and whether these New World mammals may be a natural reservoir for leprosy transmission in Brazil, similar to the situation in the southern states of the U.S. The presence of the M. leprae-specific repetitive sequence RLEP was detected by PCR amplification in purified DNA extracted from armadillo spleen and liver tissue samples. A positive RLEP signal was confirmed in 62% of the armadillos (10/16), indicating high rates of infection with M. leprae. Immunohistochemistry of sections of infected armadillo spleens revealed mycobacterial DNA and cell wall constituents in situ detected by SYBR Gold and auramine/rhodamine staining techniques, respectively. The M. leprae-specific antigen, phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) was detected in spleen sections using a rabbit polyclonal antibody specific for PGL-I. Anti-PGL-I titers were assessed by ELISA in sera from 146 inhabitants of Belterra, a hyperendemic city located in western Para A state in Brazil. A positive anti-PGL-I titer is a known biomarker for M. leprae infection in both humans and armadillos. Individuals who consumed armadillo meat most frequently (more than once per month) showed a significantly higher anti-PGL-I titer than those who did not eat or ate less frequently than once per month. Armadillos infected with M. leprae represent a potential environmental reservoir. Consequently, people who hunt, kill, or process or eat armadillo meat are at a higher risk for infection with M. leprae from these animals.
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