Antibodies to tubulin in patients with parasitic infections.

Sera from a total of 268 patients with protozoan, helminth, bacterial (leprosy and tuberculosis) infections or appropriate controls, were assayed for anti-tubulin antibodies in an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using purified tubulin as antigen. Levels of serum anti-tubulin antibody were significantly elevated in 67% of patients with visceral leishmaniasis, in 60% of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, in 89% of patients with onchocerciasis, in 100% of patients with schistosomiasis, and in 94% of patients with leprosy. Little or no increase in anti-tubulin antibody levels was seen in sera from patients with malaria (Plasmodium vivax) or tuberculosis.