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

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Immunomonitoring of filarial patients during DEC therapy in an endemic area: a seven-year follow-up.
    Author: Padigel UM, Reddy MV, Alikhan A, Harinath BC.
    Journal: J Trop Med Hyg; 1995 Feb; 98(1):52-6. PubMed ID: 7861480.
    Abstract:
    A group of 27 Wuchereria bancrofti infected persons from an endemic area, who had undergone treatment with diethylcarbamazine (DEC), were followed for 7 years to understand its effect on microfilaraemia, immune status and on the recurrence of infection. Treatment with DEC was for 14 days (day 1, 1 mg kg-1 body weight, day 2, 2 mg kg-1 body weight and from day 3 onwards 6 mg kg-1 body weight) followed by one dose (6 mg kg-1 body weight) on days 360, 540 and at the end of years 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. After a 2-year follow-up the patients were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of cases that showed no reappearance of microfilariae (mf) and Group B of those cases that showed reappearance of mf. Further follow-up in the next 5 years showed that none of the cases in Group A were positive for mf at any time. In contrast, mf were detected in Group B in 14, 15, 27 and 33% of the cases followed at the end of years 3, 4, 6 and 7 respectively. Both groups showed a decrease in filarial IgG antibody and mf excretory-secretory antigen levels in the initial 4 years followed by increased levels at the end of years 6 and 7. The reappearance of filarial antibody and antigen in 50-70% of Group A and 68-100% of Group B at the end of year 7 suggests the existence of active infection in these cases. No cases followed in this study developed clinical symptoms. This study shows that long-term DEC therapy and immunomonitoring of mf patients is essential in an endemic area for arresting transmission and prevention of pathology associated with clinical manifestations.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]