Ecologic and biologic determinants of filarial antigenemia in bancroftian filariasis in Papua New Guinea

The relationship between filarial antigenemia and lymphatic pathology was i nvestigated in residents of 11 villages in an area of Papua New Guinea wher e Wuchereria bancrofti is endemic, Antigenemia was determined in 1322 perso ns by means of the Og4C3 antibody capture assay. Prevalence of antigenemia by village ranged from 61.7% to 98.2% and did not vary by sex. Antigen leve l increased with transmission potential among the 4 villages with measured transmission potential (r(2) =.945; P =.028). Antigenemia was associated po sitively with age in villages with the lowest annual transmission potential s (45 and 404 infective larvae/year; P <.001), but was distributed evenly a cross age groups in villages with increased transmission (1485 and 2518 inf ective larvae/year). These data suggest that children and adults have simil ar worm burdens in areas of high transmission, whereas worm burdens in area s of lower transmission increase with age. These results may be useful in t he design and evaluation of programs aimed at eliminating lymphatic filaria sis.