Antibody-dependent cell-mediated effects in bancroftian filariasis.

The nature of immunoglobulin and effector cells involved in the antibody-dependent cell-mediated adhesion and cytotoxicity to Wuchereria bancrofti larvae has been investigated. Human neutrophils and eosinophils purified from peripheral blood by metrizamide gradients readily adhered to the parasites in presence of IgG fraction of sera from majority of elephantiasis cases with amicrofilaraemia and many of the endemic normals. The cells from normal, microfilariae and elephantiasis cases were equally effective inthe adhesion reaction. While the adhered neutrophils killed the larvae, eosinophils were ineffective in this respect. DEC treatment of elephantiasis cases results in a significant reduction in the ability of their sera to promote cellular adhesion.