REDUCTION OF WUCHERERIA-BANCROFTI ADULT WORM CIRCULATING ANTIGEN AFTER ANNUAL TREATMENTS OF DIETHYLCARBAMAZINE COMBINED WITH IVERMECTIN IN FRENCH-POLYNESIA

Circulating filarial antigen (CFA), determined with Og4C3 ELISA, is a marker of Wuchereria bancrofti adult worm infection. The reduction of CFA over 2 years was determined in 185 microfilaremic and 111 amicrofi laremic but CFA(+) adults given an annual dose of either diethylcarbam azine (DEC) or ivermectin or the two combined. Reduction of CFA level was good with DEC but weak with ivermectin and followed the same patte rn in amicrofilaremic and microfilaremic groups. Combinations and DEC alone had a similar impact on CFA level. CFA clearance was observed in amicrofilaremic but not in microfilaremic persons in all DEC-containi ng treatments. However,the highest clearance rate was observed in pers ons treated with DEC at 6 mg/kg combined with ivermectin. Continuous r eduction of CFA level after repeated treatments shows that elimination of W. bancrofti infection, monitored by CEA clearance, might be achie ved within a few years with annual treatments of DEC combined with ive rmectin.