Wuchereria bancrofti recombinant antigen-derived poly- and monoclonal antibodies for the detection of circulating antigen(s) in the sera of lymphatic filarial patients.

A sandwich antibody ELISA was employed for the detection of circulating filarial antigen in patients with bancroftian filariasis. Wuchereria bancrofti recombinant antigen-derived polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were successfully used as the revealing antibodies and their efficiency was compared. All the microfilariae (mf) positive (by finger prick and examination of 20 microliters of blood under the microscope) individuals tested showed the presence of circulating antigen(s). Among the antigen positive endemic normals (mf negative by the finger prick method), 43% showed microfilariae by a sensitive parasitological method viz. membrane filtration of the night blood samples. A significant correlation was observed between the parasite antigen levels and the blood microfilaria counts among the mf carriers. This information on the parasite antigen levels could be an ideal monitor to indicate the degree of active infection and in the follow up of chemotherapy.