Serological Evidence of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections as a Potential Risk for Severity in Leprosy Patients.

ABSTRACT: Leprosy presents a broad clinical spectrum influenced by the host's immune response, and co-infections may further modulate disease progression. This study evaluated clinically diagnosed leprosy patients (n = 251) from Sergipe and Minas Gerais, Brazil, along with healthy controls (n = 43), soil-transmitted helminths-positive controls (n = 15), and household contacts (n = 176). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed using predicted B-cell epitopes from immunogenic proteins of Ascaris sp., Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. Among leprosy patients, 123 (49%) were IgG seropositive for at least one soil-transmitted helminths antigen. Nine (7.3%) had optical density (OD) values exceeding 2-fold the cut-off, six (4.9%) surpasse

SUBMITTER: Grossi de Oliveira AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12501561 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature