الفهرس 
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Abstract
Leprosy, also known as Hansen‘s disease, is a chronic infection
caused by M. leprae bacteria which primarily targets mainly the skin,
peripheral nerves. It is an obligate intracellular pathogen that infects
macrophages and Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system.
Leprosy has a wide range of clinical manifestations, which may be
progressive and cause permanent damage if left without treatment.
Based on bacillary load, leprosy is classified as paucibacillary (PB)
and multibacillary (MB) forms. Although the number of new cases
decreased globally according to WHO records, it’s still a public health
problem especially in underdeveloped areas in the world.
Nutritional deficiencies are common in countries in which
leprosy is endemic and that may affect the immune response in
different aspects. Deficiency of trace elements and vitamins affect the
innate and adaptive immune response, causing an unbalance of the
host response to pathogens.
Hence our study aims to elucidate the relation between the
serum level of zinc, vit C and selenium and the clinical spectrum of
leprosy.
The study was conducted on twenty leprotic patients (10 MB-
10 PB) who were selected from Kafr-Elsheikh dermatology and
leprosy hospital twenty healthy individuals as a control group.
All the patients were subjected to full history taking ,complete
general examination, nerve examination for tenderness or enlargement
at suspected areas and dermatological examination and then slit skin
smears were done.
Blood samples were collected to assess serum level of vit C,
zinc and selenium.
The study showed that Zinc serum level was significantly lower
in paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) than in controls with
no significant difference between paucibacillary and multibacillary
patients. Vit C serum level was also significantly lower in
paucibacillary and multibacillary than in controls and no significant
difference between paucibacillary and multibacillary patients.
Selenium level showed no significant difference between any of the
three groups.