02859nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653003600054653001600090653002400106653002000130653002500150100001200175700001200187700001400199700001500213700001200228700001300240245007800253856004500331300001200376490000700388520218400395022001402579       2024                            d  c07/202410aPolymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)10aNasal swabs10aMolecular detection10aGene sequencing10aMycobacterium leprae1 aWarka U1 aHatta M1 aMuslich L1 aSyamsuri F1 aHamid F1 aSultan A00aMolecular Identification of Mycobacterium leprae in the Leprosy Patients.  uhttps://doi.org/10.4103/ijmy.ijmy_127_24  a288-2920 v133 a<p><strong>Background: </strong>Several discoveries about leprosy indicate that Mycobacterium leprae transmission mainly occurs by inhalation, and the nose is a major port of entry and exit. Molecular probes have shown certain potential for the detection and identification of M. leprae in patients. The aim of this study was to identify M. leprae in nasal swab specimens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays followed by gene sequencing methods. This observational study examines 64 anterior nasal swab samples taken from pretreatment leprosy patients, on-treatment and completed leprosy treatment in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.</p>

<p><strong>Methods: </strong>samples were analyzed by molecular detection methods according to the standard methods at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of Hasanuddin University. Descriptive statistics were utilized to summarize patient demographics and outcomes.</p>

<p><strong>Results: </strong>This study uses PCR to detect the M. leprae deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from nasal swab specimens. Data were collected from 64 patients with a percentage of male patients 51.54%. Based on the age category, the group 45-46 years was the most frequent (39.05%). PCR detection proline-rich antigen gene of a 531 bp DNA fragment from M. leprae, was positive in eight patients, and they were multibacillary. Furthermore, PCR was positive in 5 (31.25%) of 16 new leprosy patients, 2 (8.69%) of 23 on-treatment patients, and 1 (4%) of 25 treatment completed patients. Based on the results of the phylogenetic tree and analysis of 8 positive results detected by M. leprae from leprosy patients, almost all samples have a level of similarity, except for sample Ua7.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>M. leprae cannot grow in vitro, so molecular diagnostic tools were used to confirm the disease. This study predominantly of males with the age above 45 years of age being the most common. Eight M. leprae were positive from nasal swab leprosy patients. The sequencing findings provide insight into the genetic diversity of the genus M. leprae, so it is necessary to consider the detection of whole-genome sequence.</p>
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