Monoclonal antibody to a unique surface epitope of the human filaria Brugia malayi identifies infective larvae in mosquito vectors.

We describe properties of an IgM monoclonal antibody (NEB-D1E5) raised against the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi. The antibody reacts with a stage- and species-specific determinant located on the surface of the infective-stage larva, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence. To use this reagent in epidemiological field studies, we developed an enzyme-linked immunoassay with which B. malayi larvae can be differentiated from other filarial parasites in mosquito vectors, including the morphologically indistinguishable parasite of animals Brugia pahangi. The immunoenzyme assay was 91-94% specific and 90-97% sensitive when performed on infected mosquitoes. In the absence of mosquito tissue, the levels of specificity and sensitivity increased to 100% and 97.5-100%, respectively. Binding of antibody to the surface of living larvae was abrogated by treatment of the worms with the enzymes pronase and proteinase K and with the detergents Triton X-100, octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside, and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulphonate (CHAPS). In contrast, treatment with trypsin, endoglycosidase-F, O-Glycanase, N-Glycanase, lipase, various phospholipases, boiling, 2-mercaptoethanol at 37 degrees C, or periodate did not reduce the antigenicity of the larval surface to antibody NEB-D1E5. These results suggest that the species-specific epitope is a peptide domain attached to a hydrophobic anchoring residue.