Table 1.
Bacilloscopy index, frequency of qPCR positivity, and mean number of M. leprae DNA copies and Cq values in nasal samples of leprosy cases, according to the operational and Ridley-Jopling classifications.
| Operational classification | BI | Positive 16s qPCR, N (%) | Mean of Cq values | Mean of bacilli copy number (range) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (±SD) | ||||
| PB | 0 | 11 (73.3) | 35.7 | 1.1 × 104 (1.4 × 103 to 6.1 × 104) |
| N = 15 | ||||
| Tuberculoid | 0 | 10 (71.4) | 35.7 | 1.1 × 104 (1.4 × 103 to 6.1 × 104) |
| N = 14 | ||||
| Indeterminate | 0 | 1 | 34.7 | 1.8 × 104 |
| N = 1 | ||||
| MB | 3.6 (±1.5) | 35 (89.7) | 35.5 | 3.7 × 104 (5.6 × 102 to 8.0 × 105) |
| N = 39 | ||||
| Borderline | 2.6 (±1.5) | 17 (89.4) | 35.6 | 2.0 × 104 (9.0 × 102 to 1.7 × 105) |
| N = 19 | ||||
| Lepromatous | 4.5 (±0.7) | 18 (90) | 35.4 | 5.2 × 104 (5.6 × 102 to 8.0 × 105) |
| N = 20 | ||||
| Total | 46 (85.2) | 35.5 | 2.9 × 104 (5.6 × 102 to 8.0 × 105) | |
| N = 54 |
BI, bacilloscopy index; SD, standard deviation; Cq, quantification cycles; MB, mutibacillary; PB, paucibacillary.