DETECTION OF MOSQUITO SALIVA-SPECIFIC IGE ANTIBODIES BY CAPTURE ELISA

We developed an IgE-capture ELISA and measured mosquito saliva specifi c IgE antibodies in 27 children sensitive to mosquito bites. Children with large 15-min bite wheals had significantly higher (P<0.0005) mosq uito saliva-specific IgE levels than children with small wheals. In th e latter group, the saliva-specific IgE level was significantly higher (P=0.031) than the levels of six infants never exposed to mosquitoes. A positive correlation (r=0.65; P=0.0002) was found between the size of the 15-min wheal and the mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibody leve ls. These results further support the role of mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibodies in the pathogenesis of mosquito-bite whealing. Compare d to immunoblotting, IgE-capture ELISA provides a quantitative method to measure mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibodies.