ABSTRACT
An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using Wuchereria bancrofti microfilarial excretory-secretory antigen was used in field studies to screen blood samples collected on filter-paper from persons residing in areas endemic for bancroftian filariasis. This assay system, when compared with examination of night wet blood smears for microfilariae, gave a relative sensitivity of 98% and a relative specificity of 86%. Daytime blood samples can also be used in this test, which can thus replace tedious examination of night blood samples in field surveys in endemic areas.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Helminth , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Filariasis/diagnosis , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Wuchereria bancrofti/immunology , Wuchereria/immunology , Blood Specimen Collection , Filariasis/immunology , HumansSubject(s)
Diethylcarbamazine/administration & dosage , Filariasis/drug therapy , Wuchereria bancrofti/immunology , Wuchereria/immunology , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Filariasis/immunology , Humans , Immunoglobulin M/analysis , Male , Microfilariae/drug effects , Middle Aged , Wuchereria bancrofti/drug effectsABSTRACT
The indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT), indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) have been applied to the serodiagnosis of bancroftian filariasis employing Wuchereria bancrofti mf antigens and the efficiency of these tests in the detection of antibody has been compared. Each test was found to be marginally superior to the other two tests with a particular group of endemic sera for the detection of filarial antibody. In other words, the IHAT, IFAT and ELISA showed a greater number of positive reactions with endemic normal, microfilaremia and clinical filarial sera, respectively. ELISA is simple, sensitive and can be used in seroepidemiological studies for bancroftian filariasis employing soluble antigens.
Subject(s)
Filariasis/diagnosis , Antigens/immunology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Filariasis/immunology , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Hemagglutination Tests , Humans , Microfilariae/immunology , Wuchereria bancrofti/immunologyABSTRACT
The utility of human filarial serum immunoglobulin (FSI) in detecting circulating antigen in filarial sera was studied by counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) and the indirect haemagglutination test (IHAT). CIEP was found to be better than IHAT. 23 out of 30 sera from persons with microfilaeremia and one of 30 clinical cases of filariasis, but none of the normal sera or sera from those with helminths other than filariae, showed the presence of circulating filarial antigen in CIEP. FSI was fractionated by DEAE- Sephadex A-50 column chromatography and the antibody active in CIEP was found to be IgG in nature.
