title: Elevations in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-5 levels precede posttreatment eosinophilia in onchocerciasis.
abstract: The eosinophil survival assay was used to quantitate cytokines in 17 serial serum samples from 10 patients treated for onchocerciasis with diethylcarbamazine. Eosinophils isolated from normal donors were cultured for 4 days in the presence of patients' sera, and cell viability was determined. Serum specimens from 9 of 10 patients enhanced eosinophil survival from 4.8% +/- 2.2% (mean +/- SE) before treatment to 50.0% +/- 6.4% after treatment. Survival enhancement activity peaked before posttreatment eosinophilia. Antibodies to interleukin (IL)-5, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and IL-3 were used to block cytokine activity in 22 serum samples. Antibodies to IL-5 blocked survival in 5 samples, antibodies to GM-CSF blocked survival in 6 samples, and a combination of antibodies to IL-5 and GM-CSF blocked survival in 8 additional samples. Overall, posttreatment sera from patients treated for onchocerciasis enhanced eosinophil survival; both GM-CSF and IL-5 may promote the posttreatment eosinophilia in filarial infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Hagan
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Bartemes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ottesen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Awadzi
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Nutman
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Gleich
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000276:immunology*; D004804:Eosinophils; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000097:blood; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005369:Filaricides; D007377:Interleukin-3; D015848:Interleukin-5; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D004049:Diethylcarbamazine