Isolation of Mycobacterium leprae from untreated borderline tuberculoid, mid-borderline and indeterminate cases using the mouse foot pad technique – a study of 209 cases

Abstract

Using the mouse foot pad (MFP) system, isolation of Mycobacterium leprae was attempted in 209 skin biopsies obtained from 114 borderline tuberculoid (BT), 62 mid borderline (BB) and 33 indeterminate (1) untreated cases. Unequivocal growth in the foot pads of mice was seen in 100 (47.8%) cases. Of these 100 cases that showed growth in the mouse foot pad system, in 20 cases acid fast bacilli (AFB) were detected in small numbers (1 + ) in either smear or homogenate. The remaining 80 (42%) cases were negative for AFB in both smear and homogenate. The occurrence of viable bacilli and percentage take at 12 months was highest in BB (76 and 86%) followed by BT (38 and 75%) and I (30% and 52%) cases. In most of the BT (65%) and I (60%) cases, the first peak was seen only at 12 months. These results confirm that viable bacilli can be isolated and expanded from a good proportion of negative BT-BB cases using immunocompetent Swiss White mice.