Immunodiagnosis of bancroftian filariasis—Problems and progress

Abstract. The immunodiagnosis of bancroftian filariasis is a major challenge to the immunoparasitologist. Significant progress is yet to be made in developing convenient laboratory animal model and in in vitro cultivation of filarial parasites making it very difficult to obtain required amount of parasite material for research. Parasitological examination techniques are not useful in low microfilaraemia, occult or chronic.filarial infections. A precise and accurate immunodiagnostic technique is very much needed for successful filaria control programmes. Such a test will also avoid the need for laborious night blood examination in bancroftian filariasis. Due to comparatively easy availability, a good amount of work has been done to explore immunodiagnostic potential of heterologous filarial antigens isolated from Litomosoide carinii, Dirofilaria immitis, Brugia malayi, Setaria digitata, Setaria cervi and number of other filarial species. However, there has been limited or no significant success due to number of false negative and false positive reactions. Extensive study has also been made with antigens isolated from Wuchereria bancrofti microfilariae. Soluble antigens of microfilariae have been used in different immunologica