EFFECT OF PRAZIQUANTEL AND OXAMNIQUINE TREATMENT ON HUMAN ISOTYPE RESPONSES TO SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI - ELEVATED IGE TO ADULT WORM

Pre- and post-treatment antibody isotype responses to Schistosoma mans oni adult worm and soluble egg antigens were compared in a study popul ation previously used to show that IgE against adult worm correlates n egatively with intensity of reinfection following chemotherapeutic cur e. IgG subclass responses to adult worm were lower after treatment whe reas IgM and IgE were higher. The increase in IgE to adult worm was ob served with different preparations of adult worm, including the worm t egument, and with both praziquantel and oxamniquine therapy. No signif icant difference was observed between pre- and post-treatment isotype responses to egg antigens following either prazi-quantel or oxamniquin e therapy.