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- Title
Cellular responses and cytokine profiles in Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura infected patients.
- Authors
Geiger, Stefan M.; Massara, Cristiano L.; Bethony, Jeffrey; Soboslay, Peter T.; Carvalho, Omar S.; Corrêa-Oliveira, Rodrigo
- Abstract
SUMMARY The impact of intestinal helminth infection, i.e. Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura, on cellular responsiveness and cytokine production was investigated in young adults. Ascaris-specific cellular responsiveness was higher in parasite-free endemic controls than in patients infected with T. trichiura, or A. lumbricoides, or patients co-infected with both parasites. Also, mitogen-induced tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was higher in negative endemic controls than in infected individuals. Ascaris antigen-specific production of TNF-α, IL-12 and IFN-γ was low in singly Ascaris as well as in co-infected patients, whereas secretion of IL-10 and IL-13 was elevated and similarly high in all patient groups. The detection of Trichuris-specific and Ascaris-specific IgG4 revealed significantly higher serum antibody levels in Trichuris or Ascaris patients when compared to endemic controls ( P < 0·05), whereas parasite-specific IgE antibody levels were similarly high in infected individuals and in endemic controls. In summary, chronically infected Ascaris and Trichuris patients with a high parasite load presented reduced cellular reactivity and lower type 1 TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-12 responses when compared with endemic controls, whereas type 2 IL-10 and IL-13 productions were similar in all groups from the endemic area. The former may support parasite persistence, whereas substantial type 2 cytokine release may promote protective immunity, suggesting an adaptation of the host to control the parasite burden while minimizing immune-mediated host self-damage.
- Subjects
ASCARIS lumbricoides; CYTOKINES
- Publication
Parasite Immunology, 2002, Vol 24, Issue 11/12, p499
- ISSN
0141-9838
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1365-3024.2002.00600.x