LEPROSY
Selected abstract:
1.
Schurr E, Alcais A, de Leseleuc L, Abel L. Genetic
predisposition to leprosy: A major gene reveals novel pathways of immunity
to Mycobacterium leprae. Semin Immunol. 2006 Dec;18(6):404-10.
McGill Centre for the Study of Host
Resistance, Department of Human Genetics and Medicine, McGill University,
Montreal, PQ, Canada.
erwin.schurr@mcgill.ca
The elucidation of the genetic control
of susceptibility to common infectious diseases is expected to provide new
and more effective tools for prevention and control of some of the most
pressings health needs on a global scale. A major advantage of whole genome
based genetic approaches is that no a priori assumptions about mechanisms of
pathogenesis need to be made in these studies. Hence, genetic studies can
identify previously unrecognized pathways of disease susceptibility and tag
critical pathogenic events for further biochemical, immunological or
physiological analysis. We have applied this strategy to leprosy, a disease
that still claims 400,000 new cases each year. We identified genetic
variants in the shared promoter region of the PARK2 and PACRG genes as major
risk factors of leprosy susceptibility. Both encoded proteins are part of
the cellular ubiquitination system. Specifically, PARK2, the cause of early
onset Parkinson's disease, is an E3 ligase that likely is involved in
controlled proteolysis, the cellular anti-oxidants response and the
regulation of innate immune responsiveness. In addition, numerous E3 ligases
have recently been shown to be critical regulators of immunity. While the
specific role of PARK2/PACRG in leprosy pathogenesis remains unknown, a
number of experimentally testable scenarios can be developed to further
explore the role of these proteins in anti-Mycobacterium leprae host
responsiveness.
Diagnosis,
Diagnostics, Immunodiagnosis & Immunodiagnostics:
15423.
Behera B, Jena
DK, Chhetia R, Vijayashree J. Hurler syndrome with a tuft of hair.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and
Leprology. 2006 Mar-Apr; 72(2): 147-9.
15424.
Groathouse NA,
Amin A, Marques MA, Spencer JS, Gelber R, Knudson DL, Belisle JT, Brennan PJ,
Slayden RA. Use of protein microarrays to define the humoral immune response
in leprosy patients and identification of disease-state-specific antigenic
profiles. Infect Immun. 2006 Nov;74(11):6458-66.
15425.
Parkash O,
Kumar A, Nigam A, Girdhar BK. Detection of antibodies against Mycobacterium
leprae culture filtrate protein-10 in leprosy patients. J Med Microbiol.
2006 Oct;55(Pt 10):1337-41.
15426.
Parkash O,
Kumar A, Nigam A, Franken KL, Ottenhoff TH. Evaluation of recombinant
serine-rich 45-kDa antigen (ML0411) for detection of antibodies in leprosy
patients. Scand J Immunol. 2006 Oct;64(4):450-5.
Therapy:
15427.
Khong JJ,
Casson RJ, Huilgol SC, Selva D. Madarosis. Surv Ophthalmol. 2006
Nov-Dec;51(6):550-60. Review.
15428.
Lane JE,
Walsh DS, Meyers WM, Klassen-Fischer MK, Kent DE, Cohen DJ.
Borderline tuberculoid leprosy in a
woman from the state of
Georgia with armadillo exposure. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006 Oct;55(4):714-6.
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