Abstract
Phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) is a Mycobacterium leprae-specific antigen and the antibodies to the antigen may suggest an M leprae infection. To compare the M. leprae transmission among the populations, we compared the prevalence of anti-PGL-I IgM antibodies among household contacts and controls between Korea and the Philippines. In Korea (prevalence of leprosy- 0.04:1000), the prevalence of anti-PGL-I antibodies were 4.8% among controls and 8.0% among contacts, respectively. On the other hand, the seroprevalence rate was 10.8% among controls and 13.4% among contacts in the Philippines (prevalence of leprosy-0.70:1000). Interestingly, a marked difference was noted in the prevalance of anti-PGL-I antibodies among children between the countries; 10-14% among children under 10 years old and 15-18% among those aged between 10 and 19 in the Philippines compared to 0% and 2.9-6.4% in Korea, respectively. This study, therefore suggests that a high prevalance of anti-PGL-I IgM antibodies among children may indicate an active transmission of M. leprae, resulting in a higher incidence of leprosy in the population.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 12-20 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Leprosy Review |
Volume | 63 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1992 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Dermatology
- Infectious Diseases