A FILTER-PAPER TECHNIQUE FOR THE DETECTION OF ANTI-FILARIAL IGG(4) INLYMPHATIC FILARIASIS

In a previous study performed in south Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan), In donesia, me established that the immunoglobulin G(4) (IgG(4)) enzyme-l inked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a suitable community diagnostic m ethod and that it can distinguish areas of high and low prevelances wi thin short distances. In an attempt to make this diagnostic tool more applicable in the field, a comparative study using serum and blood col lected on filter paper was undertaken with 568 individuals living in 2 areas with different endemicity for brugian filariasis in south Sulaw esi. In Mamuju district, where the microfilaria (mf) prevalence of the studied individuals was 18.4%, antifilarial IgG(4) was present in 73. 1% of the venepuncture samples and 72.5% of the filter paper samples, respectively. In Mangkutane district, where lymphatic filariasis is tr ansmitted at a low level (mf rare 2.4%), antifilarial IgG(4) was detec ted in 35.5% and 39.9% of similar samples, respectively. There was no significant difference in the IgG(4) detection rate determined from ve nepuncture and filter paper samples from the same donors (P=0.124), an d the IgG(4) values were highly correlated (rho=0.97, P<0.001, n=568). These results indicate that the filter paper technique for collection of blood samples is a suitable alternative to venepuncture for use in the IgG(4) ELISA.