Differential humoral and cellular immunoreactivity to saline- and detergent-extracted filarial antigens

The immunoreactivity to saline- and detergent-extracted filarial antigens of 31 Haitian subjects exposed to or infected with Wuchereria bancrofti was analysed. Cellular reactivity, monitored by blastogenesis in vitro, was significantly greater to a soluble extract of Brugia pahangi than to a detergent-extracted antigenic preparation. In contrast, serum antibody levels against the detergent extract were significantly higher. These differences were consistently observed in symptomatic, microfilaraemic, and asymptomatic/amicrofilaraemic groups of patients. These patterns of immunoreactivity may reflect intrinsic differences between the 2 antigenic preparations in terms of composition or their mode of presentation to the host immune system.