Immunoepidemiology of Wuchereria bancrofti infection in two East African communities:
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Date
2008Author
Simonsena, Paul E.
Meyrowitsch, Dan W.
Jaoko, Walter
Malecela, Mwele N
Michael, Edwin
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The response pattern of specific antibodies to the microfilarial sheath (sheath-Ab) of the mosquito-borne
filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti was investigated in individuals from two East African communities
with different levels of endemicity. Individuals from both communities presented a strong inverse relationship
between positivity for sheath-Ab and being positive for microfilariae (mf) and circulating filarial
antigens (CFA). The prevalence of sheath-Ab positivity was highest in young individuals, but peaked at a
younger age in the high (1–14 years) than the low (15–19 years) endemicity community. IgG1, IgG2, IgG3
and IgE intensities to a crude adult filarial worm antigen were higher, and IgG4 intensities were lower,
in sheath-Ab positive than in sheath-Ab negative individuals, probably reflecting the infection status of
individuals. From the study it appears that individuals become sheath-Ab positive before mf and/or CFA
can be detected in the peripheral blood, and only after later disappearance of sheath-Ab from the circulation
can CFA and mf be diagnosed. In light of the findings, possible roles of the distinct sheath-Ab in
the host–parasite relationship are discussed, and a hypothesis is proposed which suggests that sheath-Ab
play an important role in the regulation of host microfilaraemia
URI
http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10165http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18452886
Citation
Acta Tropica 106 (2008) 200–206Subject
Wuchereria bancroftiAntibodies
Microfilarial sheath
IFAT
ELISA
Circulating filarial antigens
Tanzania
Kenya
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10377]