LINC00659 and leprosy: These candidate genes were then validated using PBMCs of MB and PB leprosy patients, HHCs, and ECs in a separate validation cohort, and we found that elevated expression of a 5-gene set IL-8, CCL2/MCP-1, SERP, LINC00659 and FLJ10489 could discriminate leprosy patients from ECs.