Clinical and laboratory studies in patients with leprosy and enthesitis

Article Abstract:

Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease caused by the microorganism Mycobacterium leprae. The lepromatous form of the disease is characterized by the development of skin lesions and disorders of the peripheral nerves with loss of sensation, muscle weakness, and paralysis. The lesions commonly develop on the skin, upper respiratory tract, and testes. The tuberculoid form of leprosy is usually benign and is associated with the development of both skin and nerve lesions but no involvement of the internal organs. Some common features of leprosy are arthritis, or inflammation of the joints, and Charcot joints, a joint disease involving injury to the spinal cord. These joint complications in leprosy may be associated with erythema nodosum leprosum, the formation of red and painful node-like growths. Although arthritis in leprosy tends to be widespread, affecting several joints, there is limited information about the involvement of the enthesis, the site where the bone is attached to a tendon, ligament, or joint capsule. The presence of enthesitis, or inflammation of the enthesis, was assessed in 77 patients with active leprosy infection. Ten patients had enthesitis, which was not associated with erythema nodosum leprosum. Patients with leprosy and enthesitis had decreased levels of C reactive protein, an abnormal protein detected in the blood during the active phase of certain illnesses, and decreased alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, a compound consisting of carbohydrates and protein, but they had no X-ray abnormalities. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Joint diseases

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Benign rheumatoid nodules in a woman with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and borderline lepromatous leprosy

Article Abstract:

A woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and borderline lepromatous leprosy may be the oldest person diagnosed with benign rheumatoid nodules. Benign rheumatoid nodules are identical on a cellular level to those that occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or other rheumatic diseases. The patient was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the age of 56. She was diagnosed with borderline lepromatous leprosy approximately five years later at the age of 61. She also had tender nodules underneath her skin on her elbows at the time of the second diagnosis. A biopsy revealed that the lesions had characteristics of rheumatoid nodules. Blood tests and clinical evaluations were negative for RA or other rheumatic diseases. This may also be the only case of benign rheumatoid nodules in a patient with leukemia and leprosy.

Case studies, Rheumatic diseases, Lymphocytic leukemia

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Ankylosing enthesitis, dactylitis and onychoperiostitis in male DBA/1 mice: A model of psoriatic arthritis

Article Abstract:

The subjects of this study are aged male mice with psoriasis arthritis. It is found that spontaneous arthritis in aging male mice shares the same important features with that of human psoriatic arthritis.

United States, Science & research, Research, Diagnosis, Mice as laboratory animals, House mouse, Psoriatic arthritis

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