Seroepidemiological study of leprosy in a highly endemic population of south India based on an ELISA using synthetic PGL-I.

As part of a continuing longitudinal immuno-epidemiological study, blood samples were collected by finger prick from 4243 individuals living in a highly endemic area for leprosy in South India. The samples were tested for IgM antibodies against phenolic glycolipid-I using an ELISA. Seropositivity defined as optical density greater than or equal to 0.2000 was marginally higher in the age group 10-30 years and in females. There was no evidence for a higher level in contacts than in non-contacts. The future prospect for the large scale use of this ELISA in high-endemic populations in special epidemiological investigations or routine control programs as a serological tool to detect leprosy infection appears questionable.