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Mechanisms of nerve injury in leprosy
- Source :
- Clinics in dermatology. 33(1)
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- All patients with leprosy have some degree of nerve involvement. Perineural inflammation is the histopathologic hallmark of leprosy, and this localization may reflect a vascular route of entry of Mycobacterium leprae into nerves. Once inside nerves, M. leprae are ingested by Schwann cells, with a wide array of consequences. Axonal atrophy may occur early in this process; ultimately, affected nerves undergo segmental demyelination. Knowledge of the mechanisms of nerve injury in leprosy has been greatly limited by the minimal opportunities to study affected nerves in man. The nine-banded armadillo provides the only animal model of the pathogenesis of M. leprae infection. New tools available for this model enable the study and correlation of events occurring in epidermal nerve fibers, dermal nerves, and nerve trunks, including neurophysiologic parameters, bacterial load, and changes in gene transcription in both neural and inflammatory cells. The armadillo model is likely to enhance understanding of the mechanisms of nerve injury in leprosy and offers a means of testing proposed interventions.
- Subjects :
- Male
Pathology
medicine.medical_specialty
Armadillos
Inflammation
Dermatology
Risk Assessment
Pathogenesis
Mice
Animal model
Atrophy
Neuritis
biology.animal
Leprosy
medicine
Animals
Humans
Mycobacterium leprae
biology
business.industry
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases
Nerve injury
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
Axons
Disease Models, Animal
Armadillo
Disease Progression
Female
Schwann Cells
medicine.symptom
business
Follow-Up Studies
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18791131
- Volume :
- 33
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Clinics in dermatology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....cf2c1066997b4fdef049e6d794ec0f07