Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia: Analysis of Antifilarial Antibody Localized to the Lung

Nutman, T B and Vijayan, V K and Pinkston, Paula and Kumaraswami, V and Steel, Cathy and Crystal, Ronald G and Ottesen, E A (1989) Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia: Analysis of Antifilarial Antibody Localized to the Lung. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 160 (6). pp. 1042-1050. ISSN Print 0022-1899; Online 1537-6613

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Abstract

Acute tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) is characterized by wheezing, pulmonary infiltrates, marked peripheral blood eosinophilia, and very high serum levels of filariaspecific antibodies. To evaluate the amount and character of the filaria-specific antibodies in the lungs in this disorder, bronchoalveolar lavage was carried out in individuals with acute TPE, in normal subjects, and in patients with elephantiasis or asthma. Striking elevations of total IgE were found in the lower respiratory tract epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of patients with TPE along with high levels of filarial-specific IgG, IgM, and IgE. When patients with acute TPE were treated with diethylcarbamazine and evaluated again 6-14 d iater, there was marked reduction in ELF parasite-specific IgG and IgE, which paralleled a rapid clinical response. Immunoblot comparison of the antigen recognition patterns of ELF and serum antibodies demonstrated a general similarity in parasite antigens recognized, but the lung IgE and IgG antibodies appeared to recognize only a certain subset of the parasite antigens recognized by serum antibodies. Thus. a profound antibody response to filarial infection is found in the lungs of patients with TPE, suggesting that these filaria-specific antibodies play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disorder.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Tuberculosis > Clinical Research
Divisions: Clinical Research
Depositing User: Dr. Rathinasabapati R
Date Deposited: 29 Aug 2013 05:55
Last Modified: 14 Mar 2016 10:12
URI: http://eprints.nirt.res.in/id/eprint/258

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