MEASUREMENT OF MOSQUITO AEDES VEXANS SALIVARY GLAND-SPECIFIC IGE AND IGG ANTIBODIES AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE ANTIBODIES IN HUMAN SERA

Background: Lack of sensitive, reproducible, and specific immunoassays has hampered the evaluation and immunotherapy of mosquito allergy. Objective: We wanted to develop ELISAs for measurement of mosquito-specific IgE and IgG using salivary glands from the mosquito Aedes vexans. Methods: Microplates coated with the salivary gland antigen were sequentially incubated with serum samples or reference serum, goat antibody to human IgE or IgG, and enzyme-conjugated rabbit anti-goat IgG. Results: The specificity of the assays was demonstrated by the successful inhibition of the ELISA reactions with the mosquito antigens. Reproducible results were obtained; mean coefficients of variation between assays were 0.200 +/- 0.002 for the IgE measurement and 0.114 +/- 0.001 for the IgG measurement. The sensitivity of each assay was 0.39 U/mL. Using these assays, sera from 50 subjects with skin reactions to mosquito bites ranging from negative to strongly positive were analyzed for mosquito-specific IgE and IgG. The mean mosquito-specific IgE and IgG were significantly higher in subjects with skin reactions to mosquito bites than in those without skin reactions (P < .005), higher in females than males (P < .031), and slightly higher in atopics than nonatopics (P > .05). Also, there was a significant correlation between mosquito-specific IgE and IgG levels (r = .77, P < .001). Conclusions: Specific, reproducible, and sensitive ELISAs have been developed for measurement of antibodies to Aedes vexans. Mosquito-specific IgE and IgG may involved in the development of sensitivity to mosquito bites.