For the improvement of the detection method of leprosy bacilli from leprosy patients; the author attempted to detect leprosy bacilli using a nuclepore membrane filter.-The specimen were obtained by skin scraping from all the tested patients with leprosy and treated with 0.025% trypsin and 0.002% Tween 80. The nuclepore membrane filters used in this study were three kinds : 0. 4 and 0.2mm in pore size of 25mm in diameter, 0. 2mm in pore size of 13mm in diameter. The results of the bacterial detection rate by the common skin scraping smear method and nuclepore membrane filter method were compared.
The results were summarized as follows
1. The bacterial detection rates by the nuclepore filter method(25mm, 13mm in diameter)
were significantly higher than the bacterial detection rates by skin smear method.
2. There was no significant difference between bacterial detection by 0.4hm in pore size, 25mm
in diameter nuclepore filter and 0. 2mm in pore size, 25mm in diameter nuclepore filter.
3. There was no significant difference between bacterial detection rates by 0.2mm in pore size,
25mm in diameter, nuclepore filter and 0.2mm in pore size, 13mm in diameter nuclepore filter.
4. Although the bacterial indices by skin smear were "-", bacterial detection negative. the number of bacteria by nuclepore filter were about 3.2 x 102/ml.
From the above results, it was suggested that on the microbiologic examination from leprosy patients, bacterial detection by skin smear method in the first place should be carried out : and than if the results gave negative, bacterial detection by nuclepore membrane filter method after treatment with trypsin and Tween 80 should be done.
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