title: Potential use of IgG2-ELISA in the diagnosis of chronic elephantiasis and IgG4-ELISA in the follow-up of microfilaraemic patients infected with Brugia malayi.
abstract: Sera from fifty subjects with different presentations of Brugian filariasis and from common soil-transmitted helminth infections were tested for specific anti-filarial IgG and its subclasses. Anti-filarial IgG, IgG1 and IgG3 showed cross-reactivities with soil-transmitted helminthic infections and no significant differences in optical densities among the various groups of filarial patients. In comparison with other groups of subjects, IgG4-ELISA of sera from microfilaraemic patients and some previously microfilaraemic patients showed a significant increase in optical density readings, while IgG2-ELISA showed elevated optical density readings in sera of patients with chronic elephantiasis. Therefore IgG2-ELISA is potentially useful in the diagnosis of brugian chronic elephantiasis while IgG4-ELISA may be beneficial for follow-up diagnosis of treated microfilaraemic patients.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Microbiol. and Parasitol., School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rahmah
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Anuar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mehdi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sinniah
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Omar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D017178:Brugia malayi / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D007074:Immunoglobulin G