P. Chaturvedi et al., FILARIAL ANTIBODY DETECTION IN SUSPECTED OCCULT FILARIASIS IN CHILDREN IN AN ENDEMIC AREA, Journal of tropical pediatrics, 41(4), 1995, pp. 243-245
A study was conducted in filarial endemic area for diagnosis of occult
filariasis in various clinical conditions in children, Thirty-five ag
e- and sex-matched controls (endemic-15, non-endemic-10, disease contr
ol - 10), 16 classical lymphatic filariasis, and 92 occult filariasis
(clinical conditions which fall in the spectrum of occult filariasis a
nd suspected to be filarial), were subjected to peripheral night blood
smear examination for microfilaria (mf) and stick ELISA test using mf
ES antigen far filarial antibodies. In the control group none showed
mf and only 3 per cent (1/35) among endemic control were positive for
filarial antibodies. In classical filariasis 1 per cent (2/16) showed
mf and 94 per cent (15/16) had filarial antibodies, In suspected occul
t filariasis 1 per cent (one case of arthritis) showed mf and 62 per c
ent (57/92) showed filarial antibodies, These consisted of tropical pu
lmonary eosinophilia 63 per cent (15/24), arthritis where no cause cou
ld be ascertained on investigation 64 per cent (27/42), nephrotic synd
rome 69 per cent (11/16), acute glomerulonephritis with ASO < 200 unit
s 38 per cent (3/8), and cardiomyopathy 50 per cent (1/2), Correlation
with age showed that 80 per cent (4/5) of cases of arthritis seen in
0-4 years of age group and 82 per cent (11/9) of nephrotic syndrome in
the 10-14 years of age group were positive for filarial antibody, Art
hritis due to other causes and minimal change nephrotic syndrome are u
ncommon in these respective age groups. It is concluded that the role
of filariasis in endemic areas in these disease states cannot be denie
d and needs to be studied further.