Association of specific antibodies against Mycobacterium leprae to the risk of development of disabilities in leprosy
Leprosy, Disease Prevention, Antibodies.
After twenty-six years of implementation of the use of multidrug therapy for the treatment of leprosy in Brazil, a significant number of cases are still found in health services, a condition that led the health authorities to assume it as a neglected disease. The consequences of such neglect are serious for those affected, as delays in the arrival of patients to services often already present nerve impairment, including disabilities and developed deformities. This study aims to associate antibodies specific to Mycobacterium leprae to the risk of developmental disabilities in leprosy. This is a quantitative approach, with a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional design, with an association between the presence of specific antibodies and the presence of disabilities. The subjects studied were enrolled from January 2014 to December 2015. The protocol of this research was submitted to the Ethics Committee in Research of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and approved in its ethical and methodological aspects according to registration Of the CAAE no. 0042.0.051.051-09 and Opinion 2080/2012. The blood collection for the analysis of the antibodies of the cases was carried out in patients registered by the Leprosy Control Program of the dermatology departments of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital and the Giselda Trigueiro State Hospital, both of which are considered references in the state of Rio Grande do Norte for the treatment Of the disease. The results show that many actions need to be developed to control the disease, which presents a growing number of new cases. It has been found that high values in the amount of antibodies specific for the disease are strongly associated with the risk of developing disabilities, especially in males of more advanced age.