Immunohistochemical Study of Nerve Growth Factor Expression in Hansen’s Disease

Aim: To study the immunoexpression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in Hansen's disease to assess the diagnostic and prognostic significance. Objective: NGF is a neurotrophin and an important growth factor for the tissue remodeling process. Higher expression of NGF is observed in the lepromatous forms when compared to tuberculoid forms. Materials and Methods: The present prospective study was carried out in the Departments of Pathology and Dermatology at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 50 patients of Hansen's disease. Results: The study included 50 cases of Hansen's disease. The majority of the cases were of borderline lepromatous, 15 (30.0%), followed by 12 (24.0%) cases each of borderline tuberculoid and tuberculoid leprosy. Higher staining intensity of NGF and a higher percentage of positive cells were observed in lepromatous leprosy (LL) cases as compared to tuberculoid leprosy (TT) cases. The highest number of cases with a high immunoreactivity score (IRS) was of LL, whereas TT cases showed a low IRS. Conclusion: The immunoexpression of NGF was more intense on the lepromatous side of the spectrum compared to the tuberculoid side, indicating the severity of the disease with less potential for cure. Keywords: Hansen's disease, immunohistochemistry, lepromatous, nerve growth factor