Determination of the Salivary Anti-Phenolic Glycolipid-1 Antibody in Leprosy Patients as a Tool to Monitoring Multidrugtherapy

Problem statement: The upper airways has a great importance as a route of M. leprae infection and because of the possibility of identifying relevant tools by systematic patient evaluation, the detection of leprosy patients by means of salivary markers becomes important. The aim of this study was to analyze anti-phenolic glycolipid 1 (anti-PGL-1) salivary and serum titers as parameters for correlation with infection, antigen exposure and treatment response. Approach: Leprosy patients before, during and after specific treatment for leprosy were selected. Salivary and serum anti-PGL-1 levels were determined by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in 30 leprosy patients ranging in age from 17-71 years old (mean: 48.45 +/- 20.92 years) and in 10 healthy controls ranging in age from 22-45 years old (mean: 32.2 +/- 9.23 years). Data were analyzed statistically by Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA). Results: There were significant differences in serum anti-PGL-1 titers between leprosy patients and healthy controls (p<0.05); however, significant differences in salivary anti-PGL1 (IgA and IgM) were found only between non-treated leprosy patients and healthy controls. MB patients showed higher serum (IgM) and salivary (IgA) levels of anti-PGL-1 than PB patients. Conclusion/Recommendations: The serum and salivary measurements of anti-PGL-1 antibody may be useful in evaluating antigen exposure and MDT response and in distinguishing MB from PB patients.