Gender-dependent specific immune response during chronic human Schistosomiasis haematobia.
The cellular and humoral acquired immune responses to Schistosoma haematobium 28 kD gluthathione S-Transferase (Sh28GST) antigen were evaluated in a Senegalese population chronically infected with S. haematobium parasite. We show a gender-dependent immune response in adult individuals presenting similar intensities of infection. Indeed, the specific IgA response and production of TGF-beta and IL-10 were found significantly higher in females compared to males. In addition, we showed that this profile was combined with a weak production of Th1-related cytokines (TNFalpha and IFNgamma) and was associated with an absence of proliferation to the antigen. A significantly higher Nuclear Matrix Protein 41/7 secretion, an apoptosis marker, was specifically observed in mononuclear blood cell cultures of females suggesting that a specific cell death process was engaged in a gender-dependent manner. This specific profile could be associated with the so-called T helper type-3 (Th3) immune response specifically promoting the production of IgA and would be developed upon the down-regulation of the specific Type-1 response by a probable cell death mechanism. This gender-dependent immune regulation, which may be under the influence of nonimmunological factors like sexual hormones, may be related to the chronicity of the infection.
Remoué
F
F
INSERM Unité 167, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France, Programme ESPOIR, Région Médicale de St-Louis, Saint-Louis, Sénégal. Franck.Remoue@pasteur-lille.fr
To Van
D
D
Schacht
A M
AM
Picquet
M
M
Garraud
O
O
Vercruysse
J
J
Ly
A
A
Capron
A
A
Riveau
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D017209:Apoptosis; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000097:blood; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D012548:Schistosoma haematobium / Q000276:immunology*; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000276:immunology*; D012675:Senegal; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; C050045:NUMA1 protein, human; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C427845:28 kDa gluthathione S-transferase antigen, Schistosoma haematobium; D005982:Glutathione Transferase