Antigen-specific proliferation and interferon-gamma and interleukin-5 production are down-regulated during Schistosoma haematobium infection.
Antigen-specific cellular immune responses were examined in persons previously infected with Schistosoma haematobium and who were, 2 years after chemotherapy, either free from infection (n = 17) or reinfected (n = 20). Proliferation to adult worm antigen (AWA) was significantly higher in uninfected than in reinfected subjects (P = .02), whereas responses to soluble egg antigen (SEA) remained low in both groups. Interleukin (IL)-5 production in uninfected persons in response to AWA and SEA was higher than in infected subjects (P = .05 and P < .001, respectively), while IL-4 and IL-13 release was similar in the 2 groups. Levels of interferon-gamma to AWA and to SEA were inversely correlated with egg output (P = .03 and P = .02, respectively). These data indicate that the presence of schistosome infection leads to T cell proliferative hyporesponsiveness and that both typical Th1 and Th2 cytokines can be down-regulated by active infection.
Grogan
J L
JL
Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
Kremsner
P G
PG
Deelder
A M
AM
Yazdanbakhsh
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D000980:Antiplatyhelmintic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005681:Gabon; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018793:Interleukin-13 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011223:Praziquantel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000980:Antiplatyhelmintic Agents; D018793:Interleukin-13; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015847:Interleukin-4; D011223:Praziquantel; D007371:Interferon-gamma