STUDIES OF THE IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO FILARIAL INFECTIONS

本项目的目的是确定体液和细胞免疫 与免疫诊断、免疫病理学和保护性 淋巴丝虫病、盘尾丝虫病和 不高兴。 已经对新发或未发病盘尾丝虫病感染进行了血清学诊断 通过使用纯化的重组盘尾丝虫抗原 （OV16）。 基于IgG 4抗体的丝虫感染血清学检测 检测也显示出具有增强的特异性，但是这种 抗体需要6-9个月的发展，尽管强烈的刺激， 慢性蠕虫感染分子筛选已经鉴定出重组 提供淋巴丝虫病特异性诊断的抗原。 淋巴丝虫病肾脏异常的性质一直是 检查并发现表现为血尿，伴或不伴 蛋白尿。 血尿在治疗过程中的强化及其意义 治疗后的消退表明免疫复合物沉积是 潜在机制论 患有班氏丝虫病或盘尾丝虫病的人群已被 检查以确定区分“自然”和“非自然”的免疫学参数， 免疫”的感染者。 感染性幼虫中的一种43 kD蛋白 可能是班氏丝虫病的保护性免疫原， 克隆和序列测定 在盘尾丝虫病和另一个 淋巴丝虫病的重点防治工作也已启动。

The purpose of this project is to define the humoral and cellular immune responses that relate to immunodiagnosis, immunopathology, and protective immunity of patients with lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and loiasis. Serodiagnosis of new or prepatent onchocerciasis infections has been made feasible through the use of a purified recombinant onchocercal antigen (OV16). Serologic assays for filarial infection based on IgG4 antibody detection have also been shown to have enhanced specificity, but such antibodies require 6-9 months to develop despite the strong stimulation of chronic helminth infection. Molecular screening has identified recombinant antigens that provide for specific diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis. The nature of the renal abnormalities in lymphatic filariasis has been examined and found to be expressed as hematuria with or without proteinuria. The enhancement of the hematuria during treatment and its resolution after therapy points to immune complex deposition as the underlying mechansism. Populations with bancroftian filariasis or onchocerciasis have been examined to define immunologic parameters that distinguish "naturally immune" from infected individuals. A 43kD protein from infective larvae that may be a protective immunogen for bancroftian filariasis has been cloned and sequenced. Similar studies in onchocerciasis and in another focus of lymphatic filariasis have also been initiated.