Which of the following condition is related with antibodies against phenolic glycolipid (PGL-1)?
High-Yield Explanation
The bacterium's complex cell wall contains large amounts of an M. leprae-specific phenolic glycolipid (PGL-1), which is detected in serologic tests. The unique trisaccharide of M. leprae binds to the basal lamina of Schwann cells; this interaction is probably relevant to the fact that M. leprae is the only bacterium to invade peripheral nerves. IgM antibodies to PGL-1 are found in 95% of patients with untreated lepromatous leprosy. Ref: Gelber R.H. (2012). Chapter 166. Leprosy. In D.L. Longo, A.S. Fauci, D.L. Kasper, S.L. Hauser, J.L. Jameson, J. Loscalzo (Eds), Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e.