Objective The cellular and humoral inmune responses of individuals with well established clinical-parasitological conditions and the development of immunity in the younger population of an endemic area will be studied in an attempt to determine how and when immunity to the different parasite life stages develops. The project will involve much larger groups of patients than have been used before and will use a range of antigens and immunological methods unavailable to other research teams. The population of the endemic area of study under 30 years of age will be surveyed clinically and parasitologically. Microfilaraemia will be assessed in counting chambers and by filtration of 1-5m1 of blood by the Nuclepore filtration technique. Three groups of 40 young adults (aged 15-30 Years of age) will be selected on the grounds that they are either: Mf-ve and asymptomatic, MF+ve and asymptomatic or have persistent lymphoedema. Each patient will be assessed for their circulating antigen status. Soluble antigens will be prepared from all stages of Brugia pahangi. These antigens will be used in ELISA tests and Western blots developed with anti-isotype sera. Whole worm IFAT analyses will be made using L3 and mf in London. IFAT will be carried out using mf of W. bancrofti in India. The different T cell sub-populations will be evaluated by FACS. The T cell responses to B. Pahangi antigens using T cell proliferation and cytokine release assays will be studied and compared. Acute phase proteins in the serum will be measured. Cytokines such as IL6, IL8 and tumour necrosis factor will be quantified. All the members of the study populations will be HLA typed. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteins Programme(s) FP3-STD 3 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the life sciences and technologies for developing countries, 1990-1994 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE AND TROPICAL MEDICINE EU contribution No data Address See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all LEIDEN UNIVERSITY Netherlands EU contribution No data Address 62,Wassenaarseweg 62 2300 RC LEIDEN See on map Total cost No data Regional Medical Research Center India EU contribution No data Address Nadankanan Road 751005 Bhubaneswar See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA Portugal EU contribution No data Address 96,Rua de Junqueira 96 1349-008 LISBOA See on map Total cost No data