SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF SUBCUTANEOUS DIROFILARIASIS

We present serological evidence that Dirofilaria immitis was the causa tive agent of subcutaneous nodules in two patients. ELISA and enzyme-l inked immunoblot analysis showed that the two human sera had a reactiv ity pattern similar to that of D. immitis rabbit immune serum. The rea ction pattern of the human sera was very different to that of Dirofila ria repens rabbit immune serum. In the light of our findings, the trad itional view that subcutaneous filarial nodules are due to D. repens h as to be revised.