[Comparative studies on the immunodiagnosis of filariasis (author's transl)]

Four serological methods have been evaluated for the immunodiagnosis of filarial infections in European patients returning from endemic areas. The highest sensitivity was found by the immunoelectrophoresis (73%), followed by the indirect fluorescence antibody test (60%) and the indirect hemagglutination (57%). The reliability of the two-dimensional geldiffusion was rather low (41%). Using immunofluorescence and hemagglutination procedures simultaneously 83% of all pathologic filarial infections were detectable. Adding an immunoelectrophoretic analysis to those sera which give doubtful results a final sensitivity of 88% was attained.