EVALUATION OF MONITORING ANTIBODIES TO PGL-I IN ARMADILLOS EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAE

  • 1 December 1986
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 54  (4) , 556-559
Abstract
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IgM antibodies to the phenolic glycolipid-I antigen of Mycobacterium leprae was evaluated for efficacy in monitoring armadillos experimentally infected with the bacillus. IgM antibodies were detected in armadillos from 186 days after experimental infection until the animals were sacrificed. The ELISA demonstrated the establishment of infection earlier and more reliably than the histologic methods previously applied. Satisfactory yields of M. leprae from individual armadillos could be predicted 97% of the time, and the technique may be useful in identifying appropriate harvest times or resistance among armadillos. The ELISA seems to be a valuable adjunct for managing experimental infections of M. leprae in armadillos.