title: Role of cytokines in giardiasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of inteleukins with G. lamblia infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum interleukins were estimated in 42 patients suffering from giardiasis and 42 apparently healthy controls. Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) was also studied in 14 patients and 14 controls. Interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10) and TNF alpha were determined by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-4 was present in 14 (33.3%) patients (mean value 220 pg/ml) and 8 (19%) controls (mean value 93 pg/ml). IL-10 was present in 5 (12%) patients (mean value 57 pg/ml) and 6 (14%) controls (mean value 79 pg/ml). IL-2 was present in one patient only but absent in controls. TNF alpha was not detected in patients but was present in 2 (14.2%) controls (mean value 75 pg/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate that IL-4 being an inflammatory regulator appears to have some relationship with giardiasis, while TNF alpha was not detected in patients probably because G. lamblia is a non invasive parasite.
authors.affiliation: Pakistan Medical Research Council Research Centre, University of Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baqai
authors.forename: S U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Kazmi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qureshi
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4