Loa loa - a neglected filaria.
There has been considerable research on the biochemistry and immunology of many human, veterinary and laboratory animal filariae, with a view to understanding pathogenic and protective immune mechanisms and developing ways to boost them(1-3). But, apart from a few isolated reports (eg. Refs 4,5), these aspects have been largely ignored for the human filarial parasite Loa loa. Obviously not all filariae can be studied in equal depth - almost 100 different life cycle patterns are documented(6) - but, as Margaret Pinder shows here, L. loa is an important human pathogen of considerable biological interest.
Pinder
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Centre International de Recherches Medicales BP 769 Franceville Gabon, France.