AJTMH ASTMH MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: astmh@astmh.org
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 14(2), 1965, pp. 263-268
Copyright © 1965 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ciferri, F.
Right arrow Articles by Rieber, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ciferri, F.
Right arrow Articles by Rieber, S.

Immunologic Studies in Onchocerciasis and Bancroftian Filariasis

I. Intracutaneous Tests with Antigens Extracted from Onchocerca and Dirofilaria*

Flavio Ciferri, John F. Kessel, William P. Lewis AND Saul Rieber
Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, and Estelle Doheny Eye Foundation, Los Angeles, California

Intracutaneous tests were performed with saline, lipid-free and Melcher extracts of Onchocerca and Dirofilaria on persons living in areas endemic for onchocerciasis in Guatemala and bancroftian filariasis in American Samoa. When measured by their N concentration, coupled with standardized methods of extraction, administration and measurement of reactivity, a logarithmic relationship appeared to exist between the wheal area and nitrogen content of injected antigen. Antigens prepared by saline extraction were generally more reactive than were antigens prepared by the other methods.

Concentrations of antigens from 3 to 4 µg N/ml elicited high percentages of positive reactions in persons from endemic areas, while normal controls and persons with intestinal nematodes from non-endemic areas gave negative reactions. Antigens with a strength of 0.8 µg N/ml yielded a lower reactivity, and may be nearer an antigen concentration that will distinguish between currently infected and non-infected persons than the higher concentrations.

Dirofilarial extracts appeared to elicit group reactions in the two populations while onchocercal extracts elicited more specific reactions in persons infected with Onchocerca. The frequency of reactions by age-groups in both populations increased with age and with the nitrogen concentration of the antigen employed. No variations by sex were observed.


* Aided by USPHS grants AI02070 and 2E-132, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.

Read before The Seventh International Congresses of Tropical Medicine and Malaria, Rio de Janeiro, September 1963.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1965 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.