Thalidomide is a TNF-alpha inhibitor and has been administrated for erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL, Type II leprosy reaction) which is one of leprosy reactions and can cause serious illness to patients of lepromatous pole among the immune spectrum. Twenty live cases (at May, 2011) were identified to whom thalidomide had been administrated since 1978 for their ENL reactions. Data were collected from their clinical records in order to evaluate the usage and effectiveness of thalidomide in National Sanatorium Oku-Komyoen, Okayama, Setouchi-city, Japan. Individual data includes bacillary index (BI), total dose, average daily dose, maximum daily dose, minimum daily dose, methods of thalidomide administration and change of symptoms of ENL.
  Results: No adverse effect was found among 20 cases. Average daily dose of 20 cases was 19 mg. Regarding to the maximum daily dose, in 3 cases (15%) more than 100 mg , in 3 cases (15%) 50 mg, and in 14 cases (70%) less than 40 mg was administrated. Dose was gradually tapered in most cases. From clinical records, thalidomide was found effective for ENL in 19 cases and clinicians concerned were trying to adjust the proper dose of the drug carefully depending on the current symptoms, because there was no guideline of thalidomide administration for ENL. This data suggests that even less than 50-100 mg as the initial daily dose was still effective, though 50-100 mg daily dose is recommended in the current guideline of Japan (2011) and more dose had been administrated in USA and India.

  The purpose of this study was to get an overview of the following aspects of people admitted to 13 national leprosariums in Japan: the prevalence of dementia, medical and nursing systems, and facilities and equipment. Subjects included 1733 people admitted to wards for patients or disabled people in these leprosariums. Subjects were examined for cognitive function using Nishimura’s behavioral rating scale for the mental states of the elderly (NMS), and for the prevalence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). We also investigated medical and nursing systems, facilities and equipment, and status of nursing education. The results showed that, 288 subjects (16.6%) had a diagnosis of dementia. According to the NMS, 47.5 % of the subjects were categorized as mild to severe dementia, while cognitive dysfunction was observed in 63.5% if borderline cases were included. Non-specialist physicians managed 30.8% of the subjects in 4 institutions, and there were no certified nurses specialized in dementia management.
  Results from this study suggest that there is need for the placement of dementia specialists’, improvement of specialized medical services, and human resource development of specialized nurses in leprosariums where many elderly people live.

  Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, has long been regarded as an incurable and dreadful contagious disease. The patients have been forcefully hospitalized and deprived of many basic human rights. Their family members have often been discriminated against due to stigma associated with this disease. Soon after the Second World War, a specific remedy called “multi-drug therapy” (MDT) was discovered and leprosy became a relatively easily curable disease. Despite this medical development, it took time to change the policy and legislation of forceful hospitalization of leprosy patients. The stigma surrounding leprosy and consequent discrimination have continued.
  In Japan, it was only in 1996 that the legislation requiring forceful hospitalization of leprosy patients was repealed. The Government decided to provide remedies to the former patients who had suffered from this policy.
  At the United Nations, the General Assembly adopted a resolution to eradicate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.
  It is hoped that discrimination associated with Hansen’s disease will soon be overcome by the efforts of all concerned, particularly doctors and nurses who are specialists of this disease.

  As for the Mycobacterium leprae which is a causative agent of Hansen’s disease, many studies had been done since it was identified in 1873. However, those studies, at the same time, experienced many struggles because of the difficulty of culture of M. leprae on the artificial growth media. Hence, the study of Hansen’s disease progressed by taking the knowledge from the study of tuberculosis caused by the bacteria belonging to the same genus, genus Mycobacterium. For instance, the knowledge of mutations in specific genes responsible for rifampicin- and quinolone-resistance in M. tuberculosis led the elucidation of drug-resistant acquisition mechanism of M. leprae. Similarly, it is necessary for the researcher of Hansen’s disease to get important information from the latest topic of the tuberculosis study and utilize them to the study of the disease.