[A microtitration variant of the latex agglutination reaction in the diagnosis of leprosy].

The authors describe the preparation of antigenic diagnostic agent based on stained polyacrolein latex particles conjugated with beta-(3-aminopropyl) 3, 6-dimethylglucopiranoside (DMG), a synthetic analog of PSL = 1 from M. leprae (L-PMG), and its use in the microtitration variant of latex agglutination for the serological diagnosis of lepra. The test was performed in polystyrene plates. A total of 45 blood sera of patients with lepra, 34 sera of subjects who had contacts with leper patients, and 148 control samples were tested. The level of antibodies to DMG was found to be related to the bacterial loading of the patient. If the patients with regressive are seropositive, it means that persistent forms of M.leprae are present in their organs and tissues. "Nonleprous" sera did not react with L-PMG. The microtitration latex agglutination test proved to be highly specific (93.3%) and sufficiently sensitive (87.3%). It is rapid and simple, the results may be assessed visually; this recommends the method for seroepidemiologic screening in the regions where lepra cases are recorded.