Utilization of Mice as Hansen Disease Models for Comprehensive Analysis of Pathogenesis, Immunological Responses, and Therapeutic Interventions: A Systematic Review Protocol

Abstract Leprosy is resulted from chronic infection by Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy affects the skin, peripheral nerves, and upper respiratory tract. Leprosy is a global health concern and Indonesia has the highest prevalence of leprosy in the world. The disease is characterized by a cytokine response, which is associated with increased inflammatory activity in both limited and multibacillary forms. Therefore, in vitro and in vivo studies are necessary to understand the disease and develop more effective treatments. This systematic search was conducted in several international databases including Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Epistemonikos. A search strategy that combined keywords based on Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free text, including mice, leprosis, bacterial examination and histopathology. The search was performed using a systematic search strategy. We performed data extraction independently using predefined sheets that included the following information: first author name, year of publication, sample size and characteristics, duration of follow up, exposure method, intervention grouping, and outcomes (bacterial examination, histopathological evaluation, and other inflammatory markers). The results of the risk of bias assessment were displayed in the form of traffic-light plot and summary plot graphs, illustrating the results of a low, high, or unclear risk of biased assessment. The data was analyzed qualitatively.