Haematological profile in leprosy. Part I--general findings

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Infectious Diseases
• Dermatology

Background:

• Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, affects the skin, peripheral nerves, and upper respiratory tract.
• Hematological alterations are common in leprosy patients, but vary significantly across different forms of the disease.
• Understanding these hematological changes is crucial for diagnosis and management of leprosy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate hematological parameters in a large cohort of adult leprosy patients.
• To compare these parameters across different types and stages of leprosy.
• To explore the presence of bacillemia in leprosy patients, including those with negative skin smears.

Main Methods:

• Hematological analysis of 904 adult leprosy patients.
• Assessment of hemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum albumin, serum iron, and serum B12 levels.
• Microscopic examination of skin smears for acid-fast bacilli.

Main Results:

• Lepromatous leprosy patients exhibited significantly lower hemoglobin, packed cell volume, serum albumin, and serum iron compared to non-lepromatous patients.
• Serum B12 levels were significantly higher in the lepromatous leprosy group.
• Acid-fast bacilli were detected in skin smears of indeterminate and tuberculoid leprosy patients who were otherwise smear-negative, indicating potential bacillemia.

Conclusions:

• Distinct hematological profiles differentiate lepromatous from non-lepromatous leprosy.
• Elevated serum B12 in lepromatous leprosy warrants further investigation.
• The presence of bacilli in smear-negative cases suggests bacillemia occurs across various leprosy types, impacting disease understanding and diagnosis.