Analysis, characterization and diagnostic use of circulating filarial antigen in bancroftian filariasis.

ABSTRACT

Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of circulating filarial antigen fraction-2 isolated from plasma of microfilaraemic patients with Wuchereria bancrofti infection has shown 21 bands with molecular weights ranging from 12 to 120 kDa. The gel (12 cm) was sliced at an interval of one cm and the eluates of all the gel slices viz., CFA2–1 to CFA2–12 showed the presence of filarial antigen by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The low molecular weight circulating filarial antigen fractions were found to share a common epitope with Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae excretory-secretory antigen and urinary filarial antigen. The 3 antigen fractions CFA2-1, CFA2–9 and CFA2–12 showed higher sensitivity in detecting filarial immunoglobulin Μ antibodies than immunoglobulin G antibodies. However CFA2–9 fraction was found useful in serological differentiation of microfilaraemics from those with disease manifestations when filarial immunoglobulin G antibodies were detected. The antigenic epitope of CFA2–1 appears to be a carbohydrate, whereas CFA2–9 appears to be protein in nature.