Does human toxoplasmosis involve an imbalance in T1/T2 cytokines?
The T1 (interferon-gamma, interleukin-12, interleukin-2) and T2 (interleukin-4, interleukin-10, interleukin-6) cytokine groups constitute two polar responses of the immune system. The T1 group is a predominantly cellular response, while the T2 group response is mainly humoral. The hypothesis forwarded here links these subgroups of induced cytokines to the various clinical forms of human toxoplasmosis. Ocular toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients could be attributed to a T1 hyper-response, whereas congenital toxoplasmosis, toxoplasmic encephalitis (in immunodeficient patients) and active chronic toxoplasmosis (with persistent lymphadenophathy) would be characterized by a predominantly T2 response. Confirmation that this kind of immunological imbalance effectively underlies the various clinical forms of toxoplasmosis would open the way for a new range of treatments based on immunomodulation.
Gómez Marín
J E
JE
Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Reims, France. jegomez@iup.univ-evry.fr
Pinon
J M
JM
Bonhomme
A
A
Guenounou
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000276:immunology; D014125:Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / Q000276:immunology; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines; D007378:Interleukins; D007371:Interferon-gamma