The role of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) as an immunological marker for patients with leprosy: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Leprosy, a significant global health concern affecting primarily the peripheral nerves and integumentary system, is influenced by the host immune system’s response, affecting its pathology, disease progression, and reaction occurrence. MCP-1, integral to leprosy’s immunological processes, holds promise as a diagnostic tool and predictor of reaction occurrence. This systematic review aimed to investigate MCP-1’s involvement in leprosy. Literature search, employing specified MeSH keywords, covered databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online Library until September 30th, 2023, yielding seventeen relevant studies. Assessing each study’s quality with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and investigating bias using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS), a narrative synthesis compiled findings. Seventeen distinct studies were included, each characterized by diverse designs, sample sizes, demographics, and outcome measures, highlighting MCP-1’s potential in diagnosing leprosy, differentiating it from control groups, and discerning leprosy types. Furthermore, MCP-1 shows promise in predicting leprosy reversal reactions. Although MCP-1 offers clinical benefits, including early diagnosis and type differentiation, further research with larger sample sizes and standardized methodologies is imperative to confirm its diagnostic utility fully.