title: Transient changes in cytokine profiles following ivermectin treatment of onchocerciasis.
abstract: Cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells after antigen or mitogen stimulation was assessed before and after semiannual ivermectin treatment of 27 patients with onchocerciasis. Before treatment, Onchocerca volvulus antigen (OvA) elicited interleukin (IL)-5 production but inhibited production of IL-10, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Six months after the first dose of ivermectin, there were increases in the IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and interferon-gamma responses to mitogen and in the GM-CSF and IL-10 responses to OvA. By 24 months (after four ivermectin doses), OvA-induced GM-CSF production and mitogen-induced IL-2 and IL-10 production remained elevated above pretreatment levels, whereas that of other cytokines returned to or below pretreatment levels. These transient changes in cytokine response profiles of patients with onchocerciasis following ivermectin treatment likely reflect changes in antigen load.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lujan-Trangay
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Peralta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zea-Flores
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Nutman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines; D015848:Interleukin-5; D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007559:Ivermectin; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor