THE IMMUNODOMINANT BRUGIA-MALAYI PARAMYOSIN AS A MARKER OF CURRENT INFECTION WITH WUCHERERIA-BANCROFTI ADULT WORMS

The full-length cDNA sequence encoding Brugia malayi L3 paramyosin has been isolated by immunoscreening a cDNA library with a mouse antiseru m raised against Wuchereria bancrofti L3 infective larvae. A recombina nt truncated form of paramyosin was expressed as a glutathione S-trans ferase fusion protein and used to evaluate humoral responses of adults from a W. bancrofti-endemic area in French Polynesia according to the ir parasitological status. Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) preferentially bou nd to paramyosin in W. bancrofti-parasitized individuals, in contrast to unparasitized individuals, who harbored neither microfilaria nor Og 4C3 adult worm circulating antigen. Reduction of the anti-paramyosin I gG4 titer following combined chemotherapy with diethylcarbamazine and ivermectin was significantly correlated with a reduction in the adult worm burden. This indicates that the presence of paramyosin-reactive I gG4 is associated with the presence of parasites and that reduction ca n be used as an immunological marker for W. bancrofti clearance.