CIRCULATING PARASITE ANTIGENS IN HUMAN FILARIASIS

需要改进人类丝虫病的诊断方法， 发现早期感染并监测病媒的效力 控制、药物治疗和未来的疫苗。 我们成功 建立一种敏感和特异的寄生虫抗原检测方法， 犬恶丝虫病导致研究开发和评估类似的 检测人类丝虫病 迄今取得的进展包括： 患者血清中200 kD寄生虫抗原鉴定 感染班氏丝虫并发展成 单克隆抗体为基础的ELISA这种抗原。 实地研究 在印度南部进行的研究表明，这种检测方法 比微丝蚴检测更敏感，它提供了一个物种- 具体的诊断，它是实用的，用于开发 国家 本提案的第一个具体目标是更充分地探讨 W.班氏抗原测定作为临床和 班氏丝虫病的流行病学工具。 我们将继续 探讨寄生虫抗原血症在“地方病”中的意义 正常人”，并评估抗原检测作为药物治疗后治愈的测试 治疗 我们也将扩大我们的实地研究， 在不同的流行区进行测试。 本建议的第二个具体目标是发展和 评估布氏丝虫病的抗原诊断试验， 盘尾丝虫病 我们在盘尾丝虫病领域的扩展是 通过普遍认识到， 在病媒时代， 对照和伊维菌素。 含有以下的寄生虫抗原： 磷酸胆碱表位已经在来自 感染O.肠扭转和B.马来语。 不幸的是，基于这些抗原的检测的测定法， 磷酸胆碱的单克隆抗体对 因为抗体竞争。 新增工作 方法是必要的。 我们的第三个具体目标是检验假设，基于 在人类和实验动物中的观察， 循环寄生虫抗原可能具有保护作用， 丝虫病的免疫力

Improved diagnostic methods are needed for human filariasis to detect early infections and to monitor the efficacy of vector control, drug therapy, and future vaccines. Our successful development of a sensitive and specific parasite antigen assay for canine dirofilariasis led to studies to develop and evaluate similar tests for human filariasis. Progress to date has included the identification of a 200 kD parasite antigen in sera from patients infected with Wuchereria bancrofti and development of a monoclonal antibody-based ELISA for this antigen. Field studies conducted in South India demonstrated that this assay is more sensitive than microfilaria detection, that it provides a species- specific diagnosis, and that it is practical for use in developing countries. The first specific aim of this proposal is to more fully explore the practical value of the W. bancrofti antigen assay as a clinical and epidemiological tool for bancroftian filariasis. We will continue to study the significance of parasite antigenemia in "endemic normals" and assess antigen detection as a test of cure after drug treatment. We will also expand our field studies to evaluate the test in different endemic areas. The second specific aim of this proposal is to develop and evaluate antigen diagnostic tests for brugian filariasis and onchocerciasis. Our expansion into the area of onchocerciasis is justified by a general recognition that improved diagnostic methods are needed to monitor transmission in the era of vector control and ivermectin. Parasite antigens containing the phosphorylcholine epitope have been demonstrated in sera from humans and animals infected with O. volvulus and B. malayi. Unfortunately, assays based on detection of these antigens with monoclonal antibodies to phosphorycholine have been insensitive because of antibody competition. Additional work with new approaches is needed. Our third specific aim is to test the hypothesis, based on observations in humans and experimental animals, that antibodies to circulating parasite antigens may have a role in protective immunity in filariasis.