Antifilarial cellular responses detected in a Haitian pediatric population by use of a microblastogenesis assay.
Previous reports have demonstrated age-related shifts in antifilarial humoral immune responses in 6- to 10-year-old Haitian children; the responses consisted of elevated parasite-specific IgG2 and IgG3 in amicrofilaremic children and elevated IgG4 in microfilaremic children. In this study, the cell-mediated immune responses to soluble adult and microfilarial extracts of Brugia pahangi, determined by use of a microblastogenesis assay, were examined. Capillary blood samples were collected by finger prick from 176 Haitian children in an area with endemic Wuchereria bancrofti. Antigen-specific cellular responsiveness varied as a function of infection status but not age or sex; amicrofilaremic children had significantly greater responses to adult antigens than did microfilaremic children. Significant responses were detected in children less than 2 years of age; thus, correlations observed between filarial antigen-specific responses and infection status are established early in life.
Hitch
W L
WL
Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Lammie
P J
PJ
Walker
E M
EM
Hightower
A W
AW
Eberhard
M L
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002009:Brugia / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006205:Haiti; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007223:Infant; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male