Urinary filarial antigen isolated from urine samples of microfilaraemic patients was analysed for its antigenic activity by immunoblotting and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay techniques. SDS-PAGE fractionation of urinary filarial antigen showed 11 protein bands, of which two showed reactivity with immunoglobulin-G fraction of filarial serum immunoglobulin in immunoblotting. Antigenic analysis of SDS-PAGE fractions of urinary filarial antigen by inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using filarial serum immunoglobulin-G andWuchereria bancroftimicrofilarial excretory-secretory antigen revealed 3 fractions, numbers 5, 6 and 9 with significant activity. In indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using fractions 5 and 6, filarial immunoglobulin-G antibody was detected in about 90 of microfilaraemics, 80 clinical filariasis and 20 of endemic normal individuals. Further, there was no phosphorylcholine epitope in these fractions. Fractions 5 and 6 can be a candidate antigens for the immunodiagnosis of filariasis.
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