Intradermal and gel-diffusion tests with dirofilarial antigens in tropical pulmonary eosinophilia
Saran, R.
Indian Journal of Chest Diseases and Allied Sciences 18(2): 90-94
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0377-9343 PMID: 829121 Document Number: 98169
Dirofilaria repens antigen (0.25 ml of 0.1% extract) was injected intradermally into 26 patients with tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (t.p.e.). 17 were positive. The agar double gel-diffusion test produced precipitin bands against a phosphate-buffered-saline extract of D. repens in 20 of 65 patients with t.p.e. The intra-dermal test was the more sensitive test but the results from both were found to be significant (p < 0.001) when compared with the results from healthy individuals. This supports the hypothesis that t.p.e. is of filarial origin and it is suggested that both type I (reagin mediated) and type III (immune complexes with precipitin) hypersensitivity is involved in the pathogenesis of this condition.