Brugia malayi: relationship between anti-sheath antibodies and amicrofilaremia in natives living in an endemic area of South Kalimantan, Borneo.

A seroepidemiological approach was taken to elucidate the relationship between anti-microfilarial antibodies and amicrofilaremia in humans living under natural conditions of exposure to Brugia malayi. Entomological observations indicated that all of the people in the study population in South Kalimantan, Borneo, were exposed repeatedly to filarial infection. A third of the population had antibodies to the sheath of microfilariae. The prevalence and titer of anti-sheath IgM was higher than anti-sheath IgG or IgA. There was a statistically significant correlation between anti-sheath antibody and amicrofilaremia and these antibodies may play a role in regulating peripheral microfilaremia.