FOLLOW-UP OF MULTIBACILLARY LEPROSY PATIENTS USING A PHENOLIC GLYCOLIPID-I-BASED ELISA - DO INCREASING ELISA-VALUES AFTER DISCONTINUATION OF TREATMENT INDICATE RELAPSE

With the introduction of reproducible serological tests it was hoped t hat relapses in leprosy patients, after discontinuing treatment, could be detected before damaging reactions occurred and before the patient s became infectious. The possible value of an ELISA using a semisynthe tic analogue of phenolic glycolipid-I to detect antibodies to this ant igen in order to predict a relapse in multibacillary patients was inve stigated. In contrast to that reported for paucibacillary patients, th is test was useful to detect early relapses in multibacillary patients . In 3 out of 4 multibacillary patients who relapsed, the ELISA-values were increased. The decreased ELISA-values in the one relapsed patien t could be attributed to the corticosteroid therapy. In the multibacil lary patients who did not relapse after RFT, the ELISA-values were con sistently low or decreased. In only one patient did the ELISA-values i ncrease following his release from treatment and this patient was clin ically suspected of developing a relapse.