This study was set out to evaluate the potentiality of relapse in patients of a
settlement village. Of the sixty-four patients in the village, Fifty patients was subjected
to evaluation. They consist of 22 males and 28 females with mean age of 60.04
years(range 38-80 years). All were treated with MDT for longer than 10 years. These,
however, were not sure how regular therapy they had. Levels of IgM antibody to
phenolic glycolipid-1(PGL-1) were measured by the absorbance value at 492 nm of
ELISA, in serum specimens in the 1988 and 1994, which levels were 297.69±369.66 and
227.40±296.33, respectively. These levels were statistically and significantly higher than
those of 145 age-and sex-matched controls(75.20±l14.24, p<0.001). Lepromin results
were follows : negative,22 patients : doubtful( / ), 7; 13: , 5: , 2. The
relationship between anti-PGL-1 antibody levels and lepromin results are not siglificant
When the criteria for seropositive was 200, positivity was present in 36% of
patients(18/50) and 7.6% of controls(l1/145).
The authors would like to propose that ones who show antibody titer hihger than 500,
need close observation and intensive medications because 1) control groups showed
relatively higher levels of PGL-1 antibody (over 200 in 11 out of 145), 2) regarding the
overall relapse rate was maximauy 1.39/100 person years after DDS monotherspr and
4.1/1000 person year after MDT, general senility mean over 60 years) precludes too
frequent a relapse in remaining life by his own bacilli.
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