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Detection of mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibodies by capture ELISA
H Brummer-Korvenkontio1, K Palosuo, T Palosuo
1National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract:
We developed an IgE-capture ELISA and measured mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibodies in 27 children sensitive to mosquito bites. Children with large 15-min bite wheals had significantly higher (P < 0.0005) mosquito saliva-specific IgE levels than children with small wheals. In the latter group, the saliva-specific IgE level was significantly higher (P = 0.031) than the levels of six infants never exposed to mosquitoes. A positive correlation (r = 0.65; P = 0.0002) was found between the size of the 15-min wheal and the mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibody levels. These results further support the role of mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibodies in the pathogenesis of mosquito-bite whealing. Compared to immunoblotting, IgE-capture ELISA provides a quantitative method to measure mosquito saliva-specific IgE antibodies.