These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: IgE responses in human filariasis. I. Quantitation of filaria-specific IgE.
    Author: Hussain R, Hamilton RG, Kumaraswami V, Adkinson NF, Ottesen EA.
    Journal: J Immunol; 1981 Oct; 127(4):1623-9. PubMed ID: 7276575.
    Abstract:
    We have developed a noncompetitive solid phase radioimmunoassay to quantitate human IgE antibodies against soluble adult antigens of Brugia malayi (B.m.), a filarial parasite, in sera of patients with various forms of clinical filariasis in Madras, India. A single reference serum was shown to contain 23 micrograms/ml of B.m.-specific IgE by depletion analysis and was used as a standard serum throughout the study. The levels of specific IgE ranged in the patients sera from 2 to 23,000 ng/ml. When these individuals were divided into clinical groups, the individuals with tropical pulmonary eosinophilia had the highest levels (mean = 8630 ng/ml) and were significantly higher than all the other groups (p less than 0.001). The lowest levels were seen in patients with circulating microfilariae (mean = 30.5 ng/ml). Patients exhibiting lymphatic obstruction (i.e., chronic pathology group) had levels slightly higher than microfilaremics (mean = 68 ng/ml) but were not significantly different (p less than 0.1). Surprisingly, individuals living in endemic areas but who had no clinical signs of filariasis also showed appreciable levels of B.m.-specific IgE (mean = 55 ng/ml). The B.m.-specific IgE represented 0.1 to 48% of the total IgE. High percentages of specific IgE may be responsible for evoking allergic symptomatology in patients with tropical pulmonary eosinophilia.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]