Biomedical Research

Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) most commonly affects people living in the tropics, especially those in Southeast- Asia, India and certain parts of China and Africa. TPE, which results from immunologic hyper-responsiveness to human filarial parasites. TPE is characterized by paroxysmal cough, dyspnea and wheezing, diffuse reticulonodular infiltrates in the chest radiographs and marked peripheral blood eosinophilia. Leucocytosis with an absolute increase in eosinophils in the peripheral blood is the hallmark of TPE. Other criteria for the diagnosis of TPE include high titres of antifilarial antibodies, raised serum total IgE >1000 ku/L and a favourable response to the antifilarial agent, diethyl-carbamazine. If left untreated or treated late, may be lead to long-term sequelae of pulmonary fibrosis or chronic bronchitis with chronic respiratory failure. The complications can be prevented by early diagnosis and treatment of patient.

Author(s): Suresh Kumar, Praveen Gautam
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