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Protective immunity in human lymphatic filariasis: problems and prospects
Balachandran Ravindran1, Ashok K Satapathy, Prakash K Sahoo
1Division of Immunology, Regional Medical Research Centre (Indian Council of Medical Research), Bhubaneswar 7510123, India. balaravi@sancharnet.in
Medical Microbiology and Immunology
|February 20, 2003
Summary
Defining protective immunity in human filariasis is crucial for vaccine development. This review clarifies challenges in identifying immune individuals and highlights the need for longitudinal studies to understand immune responses against filarial nematodes.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Parasitology
- Public Health
Background:
- Human filariasis, caused by lymphatic dwelling nematodes, affects 120 million people globally, posing a significant public health challenge.
- Developing vaccines for filariasis necessitates understanding protective immunity in infected populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the functional definition of protective immunity in human filariasis.
- To address challenges in identifying putatively immune individuals in endemic regions.
- To emphasize the importance of longitudinal immunological investigations.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing immunological studies on human filariasis.
- Analysis of the correlation between immune response phenotypes and filarial infection/disease status.
- Discussion of antibody roles against microfilariae and larval stages.
Main Results:
- Current immunological studies often establish correlations but lack definitive cause-effect relationships for protective immunity.
- Identifying truly immune individuals in endemic areas presents significant challenges.
- Antibodies targeting surface antigens of microfilariae and larvae may play a role.
Conclusions:
- Accurate delineation of protective immunity requires a functional definition and longitudinal studies across diverse cohorts.
- Further research is needed to establish the cause-effect relationship between immune responses and protection against filariasis.
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