Asymptomatic Leprosy Infection among Blood Donors May Predict Disease Development and Suggests a Potential Mode of Transmission

Isabela Maria Bernardes Goulart; Sergio Araujo; Adilson Botelho Filho; Paulo Henrique Ribeiro de Paiva; Luiz Ricardo Goulart

doi:10.1128/JCM.01305-15

Asymptomatic Leprosy Infection among Blood Donors May Predict Disease Development and Suggests a Potential Mode of Transmission

J Clin Microbiol. 2015 Oct;53(10):3345-8. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01305-15. Epub 2015 Jul 22.

Authors

Isabela Maria Bernardes Goulart¹, Sergio Araujo², Adilson Botelho Filho³, Paulo Henrique Ribeiro de Paiva³, Luiz Ricardo Goulart⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
² National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil [email protected].
³ Regional Blood Bank of Uberlandia, Hemominas Foundation, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
⁴ National Reference Center for Sanitary Dermatology and Leprosy, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Federal University of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Abstract

Blood donor samples (1,007) were assessed for anti-phenolic glycolipid 1 (PGL-1) IgM antibodies and Mycobacterium leprae DNA presence, which had 3.8% and 0.3% positivity, respectively. After a 5-year follow-up period, six individuals with positive markers developed leprosy, raising the hypothesis that asymptomatic infection among blood donors may be an undisclosed mode of leprosy transmission via transfusion.

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
Asymptomatic Diseases*
Blood / microbiology*
Blood Donors*
DNA, Bacterial / blood
Disease Transmission, Infectious*
Humans
Leprosy / diagnosis*
Leprosy / transmission*
Mycobacterium leprae / genetics
Mycobacterium leprae / immunology
Mycobacterium leprae / isolation & purification*

Substances

Antibodies, Bacterial
DNA, Bacterial