The Human Leucocytic Antigen (HLA) and the histochemical reaction of microfilaria were studied by using cytotoxicity test and microfilarial acid phosphatase activity respectively to evaluate the role of the genetic factors and the parasitic factor in the pathogenesis of filariasis. Statistical significant association was found between HLA-B7 and the susceptibility for retaining microfilariae In blood and the development of clinical manifestations of filariasis. Histoche mica! study reported more or less the same results obtained in Egypt in elsewhere.
INTRODUCTION
It was found that a large number of chronic diseases are associat— ed with particular H.L.A. antigens, which make people more susceptible and when infected become prone to complications e.g. multiple sclerosis and juvenile diabetes (Lilly et al, .1964). Parasitic diseases. such as schistosomiasis (Ashour, 1981) and filariasis (Mohamed et a!, 1987) were also found to be related to specific H.L.A. antigens. Acid phosphatase activity has been also demonstrated in numerous species of microfjlariae and accurate diagnosis could be made on the basis of specific pattern of their enzyme activity (Denzna and Barbara