Ann Dermatol.  2018 Oct;30(5):562-565. 10.5021/ad.2018.30.5.562.

Identification of Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis in Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Skin Samples from Mexico

• Torres-Guerrero E
• Sánchez-Moreno EC
• Atoche-Diéguez CE
• Carrillo-Casas EM
• Arenas R
• Xicohtencatl-Cortes J
• Hernández-Castro R

• KMID: 2419746
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2018.30.5.562

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The causative agents of leprosy are the well-known Mycobacterium leprae and the newly discovered Mycobacterium lepromatosis. This agent was found in 2008, and it was found to be the cause of diffuse lepromatous leprosy in two Mexican patients.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this work was to determine if M. leprae and M. lepromatosis were present in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded skin samples from cases from different regions in Mexico.
METHODS
A total of 41 skin samples were obtained from 11 states of Mexico. All patients' samples were diagnosed by clinical and histopathological analyses. Total DNA was isolated using a Qiagen-DNeasy blood and tissue kit and molecular identification was achieved by two semi-nested polymerase chain reactions.
RESULTS
The 41 patient included 33 samples from men and 8 samples from women; 29 samples were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive to Mycobacterium and 12 samples were PCR-negative. From those 29 samples, 13 were PCR-positive to M. leprae, 8 to M. lepromatosis and 8 were positive to both species. The histopathological diagnosis included; Nodular lepromatous leprosy (NLL); Diffuse lepromatous leprosy (DLL); and Borderline leprosy (BL). The 29 PCR-positive samples were classified as follow: 14 NLL, 4 DLL, and 11 BL. In the 12 samples negative to Mycobacterium, 7 showed the NLL, 2 DLL and 3 BL.
CONCLUSION
These findings add evidence to the M. leprae and M. lepromatous distribution, clinical forms and participation of dual infections in Mexico.

Keyword

Diffuse lepromatous leprosy; Leprosy; Mycobacterium leprae; Mycobacterium lepromatosis; Nodular lepromatous leprosy

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
DNA
Female
Hospital Distribution Systems
Humans
Leprosy
Leprosy, Borderline
Leprosy, Lepromatous
Male
Mexico*
Mycobacterium leprae*
Mycobacterium*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Skin*
DNA

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