A monoclonal antibody-based immunoradiometric assay for detection of circulating antigen in bancroftian filariasis

Abstract

A monoclonal antibody designated Gib 13 has been used in an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) to detect circulating antigen in the sera of Wuchereria bancrofti-infected subjects from an endemic area of Papua New Guinea. A clear association between the presence of patent infection and the Gib 13 target epitope in serum was established because 93% of microfilaremic individuals were antigen-positive. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between levels of serum antigen and blood microfilarial counts. Detection of circulating antigen in amicrofilaremic subjects with acute symptoms of lymphatic filariasis, and 53% of asymptomatic amicrofilaremic subjects, but not in nonendemic controls, sugg..