POTENTIAL USE OF IGG2-ELISA IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC ELEPHANTIASISAND IGG4-ELISA IN THE FOLLOW-UP OF MICROFILAREMIC PATIENTS INFECTED WITH BRUGIA-MALAYI

Sera from fifty subjects with different presentations of Brugian filar iasis and from common soil-transmitted helminth infections were tested for specific anti-filarial IgG and its subclasses. Anti-filarial IgG, IgG1 and IgG3 showed crossreactivities with soil-transmitted helminth ic infections and no significant differences in optical densities amon g the various groups of filarial patients. In comparison with other gr oups of subjects, IgG4-ELISA of sera from microfilaraemic patients and some previously microfilaraemic patients showed a significant increas e in optical density readings, while IgG2-ELISA showed elevated optica l density readings in sera of patients with chronic elephantiasis. The refore IgG2-ELISA is potentially useful in the diagnosis of brugian ch ronic elephantiasis while IgG4-ELISA may be beneficial for follow-up d iagnosis of treated microfilaraemic patients. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.