Regulation of the immune response in lymphatic filariasis: perspectives onacute and chronic infection with Wuchereria bancrofti in South India

Delineating the immune responses in lymphatic filariasis has been complicat ed not only by the rapidly expanding knowledge of new immunological mediato rs and effortors, but also by new methodologies (in particular, circulating filarial antigen detection) for defining and categorizing filarial-infecte d individuals. By using assays for circulating antigen in the sera collecte d as part of the many immunological studies performed on individuals in a W uchereria bancrofti-endemic region of South India, we have attempted to exp lore the influence of patency on the antigen-driven proliferative and cytok ine responses seen in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individuals wit h varying clinical manifestations of lymphatic filarial infection. Moreover , we have provided perspectives on the differences between acute and chroni c infection with W. bancrofti and suggested mechanisms that may underly the modulation of the immune response as patency occurs.