Elevated cellular immune responses and interferon-gamma release after long-term diethylcarbamazine treatment of patients with human lymphatic filariasis.
Cellular immune responses to filarial antigens were examined in persons before and 1 year after beginning treatment with diethylcarbamazine (DEC). The subjects (17 microfilaremics, 13 asymptomatic amicrofilaremics, and 13 with elephantiasis) had not responded to Brgia malayi adult worm antigen (BmA) before chemotherapy. T cell proliferative responses to BmA improved significantly after therapy in the 3 clinical groups (P < .05) but was highest in the elephantiasis patients and asymptomatic amicrofilareimics. Cytokine release profiles after stimulation with parasite antigen were analyzed. Production of interferon (IFN)-gamma by BmA-stimulated mononuclear cells increased significantly after DEC treatment (geometric mean, 39.6-55.7 U/mL; P < .05), largely due to improved responses in elephantiasis patients and asymptomatic amicrofilaremics. In contrast, BmA-induced interleukin (IL)-4 release did not change significantly in these same patients after treatment. Thus, both microfilaremic and amicrofilaremic infections with B. malayi are associated with similar down-regulation of proliferative T cell function and IFN-gamma release.
Sartono
E
E
Department of Parasitology, Leiden University, Netherlands.
Kruize
Y C
YC
Kurniawan
A
A
van der Meide
P H
PH
Partono
F
F
Maizels
R M
RM
Yazdanbakhsh
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D017178:Brugia malayi / Q000276:immunology; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004605:Elephantiasis, Filarial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology
D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D014373:Tuberculin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine