ABSTRACT
Biotechnological tools are being used in malaria, filariasis and dengue research. The main emphasis has been on the production of reagents for immunodiagnosis and research. In this respect monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against various species and stages of the above pathogens have been produced. It is hoped that these McAbs will be useful not only in immunodiagnosis but also for seroepidemiological applications. A DNA probe against Brugia malayi has been tested in Malaysia and was found to be sensitive and specific.
Subject(s)
Animals , Antibodies, Monoclonal/diagnosis , Biotechnology , Brugia/genetics , DNA, Recombinant , Dengue/diagnosis , Elephantiasis, Filarial/diagnosis , Filariasis/diagnosis , Humans , Malaria/diagnosis , Malaysia , Parasitic Diseases/diagnosisABSTRACT
Malarial antibodies in 80 patients were measured using the diffusion-in-gel enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DIG-ELISA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test. Good correlations were obtained between all three tests in terms of sensitivity and reliability. DIG-ELISA has the advantage of being a rapid diagnostic tool for the detection of malarial antibodies.